Health News
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
You might be surprised to know that most of the salt we consume every day doesn?t come from the salt shaker ? it comes from processed foods. These are the conveniently packaged, boxed, and canned products that don?t taste particularly salty, but provide nearly 80% of the salt eaten daily. Only about 10% comes from the salt shaker, with the remaining 10% naturally found in foods.
So it?s no surprise that all the messages from health agencies to cut down on salt haven?t really made a dent in the intake of most Americans. While the recommended intake for most healthy people is about 2,400 mg of sodium (one teaspoon) each day, the average daily intake for Americans is 2-3 times that. And most of it is coming from processed foods.
That?s why the Institute of Medicine?s (IOM) new guidelines advise Americans to cut down on processed foods, rather than cut down on salt. Most people believe they?re following the directive, to ?cut down on salt? when they get rid of the shaker at the table, which is the crux of the problem. Kudos to the IOM for changing the message, to help people make betters choices.
While national guidelines for most healthy people suggest a daily intake of up to 2,400 mg, to support our biological need for sodium, some documented ?salt-sensitive? groups (age 50+, African-American, high blood pressure, family history of high blood pressure) should aim for around 1,500 mg. And always check with your doctor, to confirm how closely you need to monitor your sodium intake.
- Federal Dietary Guidelines Recommend Cutting Back On Red And Processed Meat, Sugar And Refined Grains
The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services have released proposed 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines, released every five years, "provide authoritative advice about consuming fewer calories, making...
- Kids' Excessive Salty Snacks Are Linked To Obesity, High Blood Pressure; New Limits On School Vending Items May Help
As new research shows that America's child-obesity epidemic is linked to eating too many salty snacks, new federal regulations could ensure that vending-machine snacks in Kentucky's schools are healthier and lower in sodium. Spurred by children...
- Are You Salt Savvy?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that most of us are consuming nearly twice the recommended amount of sodium in our daily diet. While the daily sodium recommendation for...
- Where?s The Fiber?
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If you seem to be finding fiber in every product you look at, you?re right! Fiber is being added to all kinds of foods ? from yogurts, to juices, fruit chews, cookies, cottage cheese, and white bread. Even whole grains get an...
- New Dietary Guidelines Stress Portion Control, Less Sodium
While the government has issued new dietary guidelines for us to follow, it's worth asking if anyone is listening. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published jointly every 5 years since 1980 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Health News
Salt Sense
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
So it?s no surprise that all the messages from health agencies to cut down on salt haven?t really made a dent in the intake of most Americans. While the recommended intake for most healthy people is about 2,400 mg of sodium (one teaspoon) each day, the average daily intake for Americans is 2-3 times that. And most of it is coming from processed foods.
That?s why the Institute of Medicine?s (IOM) new guidelines advise Americans to cut down on processed foods, rather than cut down on salt. Most people believe they?re following the directive, to ?cut down on salt? when they get rid of the shaker at the table, which is the crux of the problem. Kudos to the IOM for changing the message, to help people make betters choices.
While national guidelines for most healthy people suggest a daily intake of up to 2,400 mg, to support our biological need for sodium, some documented ?salt-sensitive? groups (age 50+, African-American, high blood pressure, family history of high blood pressure) should aim for around 1,500 mg. And always check with your doctor, to confirm how closely you need to monitor your sodium intake.
- Federal Dietary Guidelines Recommend Cutting Back On Red And Processed Meat, Sugar And Refined Grains
The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services have released proposed 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines, released every five years, "provide authoritative advice about consuming fewer calories, making...
- Kids' Excessive Salty Snacks Are Linked To Obesity, High Blood Pressure; New Limits On School Vending Items May Help
As new research shows that America's child-obesity epidemic is linked to eating too many salty snacks, new federal regulations could ensure that vending-machine snacks in Kentucky's schools are healthier and lower in sodium. Spurred by children...
- Are You Salt Savvy?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that most of us are consuming nearly twice the recommended amount of sodium in our daily diet. While the daily sodium recommendation for...
- Where?s The Fiber?
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If you seem to be finding fiber in every product you look at, you?re right! Fiber is being added to all kinds of foods ? from yogurts, to juices, fruit chews, cookies, cottage cheese, and white bread. Even whole grains get an...
- New Dietary Guidelines Stress Portion Control, Less Sodium
While the government has issued new dietary guidelines for us to follow, it's worth asking if anyone is listening. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published jointly every 5 years since 1980 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human...