Reasons to Cut Down on Sodium Intake

Why are so many people today suffering from conditions such as hypertension? Could it stem from consuming foods with too much salt? That could be a factor.

The American Heart Association recommends that we take in no more than 2,300mg (milligrams) of sodium per day and most low sodium diet guidelines should be 1,500 mg or less per day, but the average American eats 3,400 milligrams daily. We should only take in a teaspoon of salt, but most of us are eating a tablespoon daily! Is this just coming from a salt shaker? Nope. It typically comes from processed, packaged and restaurant foods, where we don’t have much control over the salt intake, unless we choose to avoid all of those items.

Why cut down on our sodium intake? There are many health benefits when you don’t eat more salt than your body can bare

Did you know, for instance, that eating too much sodium can increase your blood pressure? This is especially true for people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. And when a person has high blood pressure, they’re more likely to suffer from a stroke or heart attack– not good.

Also, the more salt you take in, the more calcium you end up excreting in your urine. Interestingly, researchers have found this to compromise bone strength, therefore increasing the risk of osteoporosis. In other words, too much salt could lead to your bones thinning, which isn’t a desirable thing.

Then there are some other things you wouldn’t expect too much sodium to be connected to, such as the increase of asthma symptoms as well as the greater likelihood to get stomach cancer.

In order to put less stress on your body’s heart and kidneys, consider alternatives to salt. For example, Benson’s Gourmet Salt-Free Seasonings are all about adding flavor without adding salt. So you can substitute salt with all-natural seasonings from Benson’s. Read more about this here:

https://www.bensonsgourmetseasonings.com/tastiest-salt-substitute-of-all-salt-substitutes/