Here we are–right in the middle of the holiday season… Parties, food, drink, and there’s a sneaky little culprit that makes its way into a lot of prepared foods, especially in restaurants: Salt!
I’m a firm believer that salt can actually be one of the more worrisome ingredients in food if used in excess. This is because oftentimes it is already abundantly present in food and then people add even more with the salt shaker, sending their sodium intake soaring! A recent large-scale study proves that eating high amounts of salt is linked to a significantly higher risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, was a joint effort reviewing 13 prospective studies from the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, and China. It included more than 170,000 participants followed up for 3.5 to 19 years. The study provides conclusive evidence of the direct link between high amounts of salt intake and increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
The study also proved that reducing daily salt intake averted more than 1.25 million strokes and almost 3 million cardiovascular events worldwide each year. So, try not to use the salt or eliminate it altogether. A tip I use at my house when cooking is to use a lot of other spices in our food for flavor. I even order meals in restaurants specifically without salt. Pile on the pepper! Get creative with cumin! But pass on that salt! Your body will thank you!
Let’s hear your comments on how you reduce salt intake!
Source: British Medical Journal; Doctor’s Guide
