Salt is not as fearsome as you’ve been led to believe
Aging people have long since been resigned to living out their latter years avoiding salt and eating a bland, tasteless diet. But new research shows the risks of salt may be overblown. Also, if you have low blood pressure, salt can actually serve as a boost to your health.
Salt has been recognized as a precious commodity throughout human history, even serving as a form of legal currency. Not only is it vital to our health, it also preserves foods and, as anyone who has accidentally cooked a meal without salt can attest, it is vital to making food taste good.
However, salt came to be overused in the industrialization of food. This led to concern over a link between increasing rates of high blood pressure and a higher rate of heart disease risk.
However, new research suggests we don’t have to abandon this ancient culinary delight. A study of almost 3,000 older people in their 70s found no significant risk for cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or death in those who consumed about a teaspoon of salt a day versus those who didn’t. Current health guidelines call for consuming no more than 1,500 mg of salt a day for those over 50, and 2,300 mg (about a teaspoon) for those under 50. The average American consumes almost 3,500 mg, thanks to our fast-food culture.
Of course, if you have high blood pressure, this is not license to eat lots of salt as that can worsen the situation. It’s important to also consider the role of potassium, which lessens the effects of salt. The recommended daily intake of potassium is 4,700 mg a day. Foods high in potassium include sweet potatoes, greens, bananas, citrus fruits, and more. Also, when it comes to blood pressure, other important factors are exercise and reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake if you have insulin resistance.
High blood pressure or not, it’s important not to over consume the heavily salted processed foods that contain chemically laden industrialized salt.