Hold the Salt. Tightly

Here’s a question: How much salt does your body need every day? The corrrect answer is half a teaspoon. Anything beyond that, according to the Institute of Medicine, can put us at risk of high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke. Unfortunately, as this piece in the Washington Post points out, it’s almost impossible to live in this country and consume such a small amount of salt. A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese contains nearly half a
teaspoon of salt, two slices of Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Stuffed
Crust pizza has more than a teaspoon, and even most low-sodium canned soups
contain nearly a quarter teaspoon. What to do? The Post tells us that advocacy groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest,
for years have pushed the government to regulate salt, put warning
labels on high-sodium foods and devise a program for gradual reductions
in restaurant and processed foods. To no avail. Health officials in the United Kingdom have had better luck. There, a government-led
campaign to cut salt across the food industry has reduced the amount of salt in breads
and soups by 30 percent, and the goal is to lower total sodium
consumption to a teaspoon a day by 2010. The salt cutbacks are staggered at 10 percent a year, so most consumers apparently don’t notice.
Here, all we can do is just say No.