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A Little Salt Reduction Can Go A Long Way

Tribune photo illustration by JOSEPH BROWN III

About 95 percent of American men (and 75 percent of women), ages 31 to 50, consume too much sodium.

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 25, 2009

Truth is you can't live without salt.

The mineral compound sodium chloride was used by the ancient Egyptians for its flavor and preservative powers - and is beloved by 21st century families reliant on processed meals.

Problem is, Americans consume too much of the stuff, placing themselves at risk for high blood pressure, hypertension and heart disease.

How much is too much? An estimated 95 percent of American men ages 31 to 50, and 75 percent of American women of that age, exceed the recommended maximum of 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, reports the Institutes of Medicine.

"Left unchecked, we seem to consume more and more salt," says Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a University of California, San Francisco, internist who regularly works with patients trying to tackle health problems by reducing salt in their diet.

Salt tastes great and is prevalent in so many modern foods, she says, that it's frustrating and unrealistic to ask people to make a radical change. So she and her fellow researchers posed a big picture question: Can decreasing salt even a little improve the population's future risk for heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and death?

The answer was a resounding yes, according to a study presented at the recent American Heart Association national conference held in Palm Harbor.

A computer simulation using health data from Americans age 35 and older showed that reducing salt consumption by 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) daily over the next 10 years would:

•reduce by 190,000 to 310,000 the current 11 million cases of coronary heart disease;

•avert 170,000 to 270,000 of the current 8 million annual heart attacks; and

•decrease the 7 million existing annual stroke cases by 130,000 to 200,000.

The study shows that while reducing salt intake may result in only modest changes on the individual level, the larger implications for the U.S. population are significant. Researchers also found that two particular groups, black women and adults younger than 65, could benefit most from these dietary improvements.

Bibbins-Domingo says since most people consume between 9,000 and 12,000 milligrams of sodium every day, this kind of minor diet change is more realistic for people who don't want to give up their salted nuts and potato chips.

"It's really hard for consumers - even if they are mindful of salt - to reduce their intake," she says.

Cutting salt completely out of your diet is impossible and unnecessary. The body needs some sodium to maintain fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and help with how muscles contract and relax, according to the experts at the Mayo Clinic.

The kidneys can wash out some, but not all, surplus sodium through urination. That's when sodium's water-retaining abilities kick in and blood volume grows, the Mayo Clinic says. The result: Your heart works overtime to pump the extra blood, your blood pressure increases, and you become a candidate for a slew of cardiovascular diseases.

Want to make some changes? There are some easy places to start, says Anne Curtis, cardiology chair at University Of South Florida Health. Canned vegetables can be rinsed and soups can be diluted and still taste good. That's what's most important, she says.

"You put anyone on a miserable diet, and they won't stick to it," she says.

Bibbins-Domingo points to processed foods as the major source of excessive sodium. The American College of Nutrition estimates that 77 percent of sodium in an average American diet comes from processed foods. That includes cold cuts, salad dressings, cakes and cookies, and food mixes.

She says findings such as those in her study should help consumers - and food manufacturers - see how important reducing sodium, even by a small amount, is to a diet.

"These are changes that would not have a dramatic increase on taste or shelf life," she says. "Clearly, not all this salt is necessary."

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