Salt…. Do you know the facts? How it affects heart disease and should we be on a low salt diet

Before you ask to "salt it," make sure you understand the current reality about salt and how much you should have in your eating routine, especially assuming you're experiencing or at risk for the ill effects of hypertension or coronary disease.

Nutritionist Chloe Steele gives us the nitty-gritty of salt. Why excess is terrible for you, what it really is and what it does, and tips to help reduce your intake.

How much salt would be good for us to actually have?

The World Wellbeing Association and the Australian Public Wellbeing and Clinical Exploration Board suggest that adults should consume less than 2g of sodium per day1 (which is generally equivalent to not having 5g of a teaspoon of salt each day). However, the average Australian consumes much more, about 3.6g1 of sodium, which is beyond what our bodies can use. Our ancestors consumed around 1.73g of salt each day, and it is impossible for humans to have sufficient opportunity to adapt to higher levels. Thus, high dietary salt intake may be associated with several diseases, including hypertension and coronary heart disease.

What is salt and how can it react?

Salt is a compound containing roughly 40% sodium and 60% chloride; and it's the sodium part that causes the most concern. High sodium intake has been linked to the development of hypertension and coronary heart disease, but although possibly destructive in extreme amounts, sodium is vital to several natural cycles. The body only needs 0.5g of sodium every day to function properly, and when it is polished within the sound range of under 2g of sodium every day, it is involved in a strong functional durable frame, guarantees the balance of water in the blood, strengthens the nerves and muscles to functioned properly, and is expected for typical cardiac function2.

Why is too much sodium bad for you?

Specialists usually recommend a low-salt or low-sodium diet for people who have coronary heart disease or who are at high risk of getting it, but why?

The moment we eat more sodium than can be used, the body has to figure out a way to get rid of it. Research has suggested that by increasing circulatory strain, the body can create more sodium, which is processed in the kidneys and excreted in the urine3. In any case, an alarming symptom of persistent hypertension is that the passages that carry blood become rigid and unable to actually deliver blood to the heart, leading to the development of coronary disease. For people who now suffer from coronary disease, a constant high salt intake can be an additional weight and can increase your hazard of cardiovascular failure.

High dietary salt intake and its subsequent increased circulatory load can also cause the heart's primary siphon chamber to thicken and harden, affecting its ability to contract and pump blood around the body. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular collapse, another type of heart disease2. Consuming fewer calories with a low salt content has been linked to recurrent heart attacks4, so regardless of whether you have the condition, there is something you can do to help it.

Top tips for cutting back on sodium

Be aware of what you eat

The vast majority of sodium consumption in the normal Australian diet comes from super-processed foods, and cutting them out will guarantee you reduce your risk of heart disease5. Sodium is used as an additive and flavor enhancer in many cases and varieties of processed foods and those with a long shelf life are likely to contain sodium. Indeed, even if one knows, sweet types of food can have high amounts, so don't be fooled! Concomitant food sources should therefore be kept out of:

Packaged and handled food sources such as pizza, pies, vienna rolls and cheap food

Processed meats such as ham, salami, bacon, hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken strips

Canned food sources with added salt (tomatoes, beans and vegetables)

Salted nuts, chips and wafers

Yeast separated spreads like Vegemite

Sauces, such as fish sauce and soy sauce.

Eat lots of new organic produce, vegetables and whole grains

Organic produce, vegetables and whole grains are usually low in sodium, and a diet high in sodium is associated with a lower risk of heart disease6. Natural products, vegetables, and whole grains may also contain other supplements, called phytonutrients, which may have additional benefits for heart health.

Check out the fixings

If you buy food that comes in a package, it will have a list of fixes. Salt will most often be recorded as sodium and it is important to keep absolute daily levels below 2g each day. Choose varieties of foods labeled "no added salt" and watch what you're eating per serving. Try to choose food sources with less than 120 mg per 100 g.

When looking at food names, the per 100g section is valuable as it helps you contrast the sodium content of comparable food sources and allows you to trade low sodium regardless of portion size. For example, here are the fixings recorded on the back of two different brands of canned tomatoes with contrasting serving sizes. Tin, which has a lower sodium content, is an easy trade for what you would normally buy.

Make your own and eliminate salt from cooking

Many individuals will say they prefer spicy or sweet food sources, and fortunately these are not contrived preferences, but rather learned behaviors. Making your own food without any preparation is the most ideal way to be aware of your sodium intake while reducing your use of super processed types of food. In case you add salt when cooking or at the table, guarantee you discover some approach to estimate it and reject it bit by bit until you add none at all. Find alternative ways to enhance food with garlic, spices and flavors. Your taste buds will begin to adjust to the new taste without salt, and you will guarantee that you will reduce your risk of coronary disease at the same time.