Tips on reducing salt

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Experts warn that not adding salt at table probably doesn't go far enough if you want to keep blood pressure under control.
Research has shown that people in societies where not much salt is eaten tend to have lower blood pressure. A first step towards reducing sodium - guidelines say you should not eat more than 2,400 milligrams a day - is not to add more to your food at the table. But, says Dr Lee Green, Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan, this does not go far enough.

You need to be diligent in checking your food labels, for salt hides in many pre-packaged foods. Dr Green mentions some of the worst offenders. Soup, for instance, can contain up to 1,000 milligrams of sodium in a serving. Breakfast cereal can also be high in salt. When it comes to vegetables, go for fresh, rather than tinned - the latter may have added salt.

Dressings and sauces can also contain quite a lot of sodium. Put your own oil and vinegar mix on salad instead. And, ironically, low-calorie low-fat meals often contain high levels of salt. So any benefit you're getting from cutting calories might be offset by taking in a lot of salt.

Eating out can be especially difficult, because restaurant meals don't have food labels. Many chefs have been trained to use a lot of salt. They need re-educating, but this isn't easy! Go for steamed or grilled dishes and avoid sauces, dressings and soups - these are the choices that are probably highest in salt.

Source
University of Michigan 2nd June 2005

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