Salt - The Hidden Poison
Even if you don’t use much salt on your food the chances are that you are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease from a daily sodium overdose, hidden in the food you buy.
“Should industry be allowed to serve us food that makes us sick and kills us?”
--- Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for New York City.
If you eat processed foods or dine at restaurants frequently your intake of sodium is anywhere from two to five times the daily recommended allowance. When eating out a large meal can contain 15 grams of salt without using the salt shaker.
The human body needs salt to aid in nerve and muscle function. Dietary sodium also helps to regulate blood pressure which is why high blood pressure is one of the symptoms of a sodium overdose. To achieve these positive results you need only 1,500 milligrams per day for African-Americans, anyone over 40 years old, women and children.
A recently published study (Feb., 2010) in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that lowering slat intake by 1,200 milligrams per day (average US intake is 3,000 to 8,000 mg/day) would, every year, reduce;
Unfortunately, Americans have increased their salt intake by a whopping 50% since 1970. As a result two thirds of the US population is now overweight or obese.
A recently published study (Feb., 2010) in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that lowering slat intake by 1,200 milligrams per day (average US intake is 3,000 to 8,000 mg/day) would, every year, reduce;
- Heart attacks by 54,000 to 99,000
- New heart disease cases by 60,000 to 120,000
- Strokes by 32,000 to 60,000
Unfortunately, Americans have increased their salt intake by a whopping 50% since 1970. As a result two thirds of the US population is now overweight or obese.
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The most obscene statistic resulting from the food industry loading processed foods with outrageous amounts of sodium and other unhealthy additives is that the obesity rate for children in the US has tripled since 1980.
This is true in most countries. The British government launched a campaign years ago to get their food processors to lower the amount of salt in their products.
Although uneasy at first, the food industries found they could drop the salt by 20% to 30% without loosing customers.
The residents of Portugal have a stroke rate that is twice that of neighboring Spain, where the Mediterranean diet is generally followed, and three times the stroke rate of France. Strokes kill 20% of the population every year, the government is considering legislation to limit this adulteration of their food.
This is true in most countries. The British government launched a campaign years ago to get their food processors to lower the amount of salt in their products.
Although uneasy at first, the food industries found they could drop the salt by 20% to 30% without loosing customers.
The residents of Portugal have a stroke rate that is twice that of neighboring Spain, where the Mediterranean diet is generally followed, and three times the stroke rate of France. Strokes kill 20% of the population every year, the government is considering legislation to limit this adulteration of their food.
In the USA the Food and Drug Administration is refusing to legislate the amount of salt that food industries may put in your food.
Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Margret Hamilton, says, “We believe we can achieve some substantial voluntary reductions. We are shaping a strategy and that strategy involves working in partnership.”
Dr Hamilton claims that it would take longer to pass mandatory requirements than to convince the many different food processors to do so voluntarily. We would be working with them to establish targets . . . You’ll see us sitting down with key industry partners and starting to define a road map.” Sound definite and convincing to you?
According to Dr. Jane E. Henney, former FDA commissioner, “This needs to be a mandatory standard because salt is so ubiquitous; having one or two in the industry make strong attempts at this doesn’t give us that even playing field over time. It is not sustainable.”
Alice Lichtenstien is a nutrition scientist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She states, “Phasing in a population-wide decrease in salt intake is probably the most practical way to go. If they become mandatory then I think we will see change.”
Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Margret Hamilton, says, “We believe we can achieve some substantial voluntary reductions. We are shaping a strategy and that strategy involves working in partnership.”
Dr Hamilton claims that it would take longer to pass mandatory requirements than to convince the many different food processors to do so voluntarily. We would be working with them to establish targets . . . You’ll see us sitting down with key industry partners and starting to define a road map.” Sound definite and convincing to you?
According to Dr. Jane E. Henney, former FDA commissioner, “This needs to be a mandatory standard because salt is so ubiquitous; having one or two in the industry make strong attempts at this doesn’t give us that even playing field over time. It is not sustainable.”
Alice Lichtenstien is a nutrition scientist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She states, “Phasing in a population-wide decrease in salt intake is probably the most practical way to go. If they become mandatory then I think we will see change.”
You are, literally, dying to make the food industries lots of money. What can you do? Read the nutrition labels before purchasing and refuse to buy foods that give you too much of your daily allowance of sodium in one serving.
If you love your children, if you love life then write, call and email your representatives to let them know they need to partner with the people of America, not the food industries. As Iowa Senator Tom Harkins has said, “This is crying out for a change that’s long overdue.”
Reduce your risk of:
- Hypertension
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
The recommended daily allowance of salt is 1,500 milligrams. To find the amounts in many foods check out the sodium chart at the US Department of Agriculture.
For further information the ‘Consensus Action on Salt in Health’ is an excellent source.
“Should industry be allowed to serve us food that makes us sick and kills us?”
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