Saturday, July 05, 2008
Top 10 Food Mistakes - #5
Almost all of us could do with less salt, which has been shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure. Americans consume an average of 3,375 mg of sodium a day—way over the recommended maximum of 2,300 mg for healthy people (1,500 mg for the one in three among us who has hypertension). Because processed foods represent one of the biggest sources of hidden sodium, it's great news that manufacturers are making low-sodium alternatives. Problem is, many still contain more salt than the 140 mg most of us should get in a single serving. A 1-cup serving of a leading chicken broth labeled less sodium, for instance, contains 554 mg; 1 tablespoon of reduced-sodium soy sauce has 600 mg.
"Be wary of products labeled less sodium," says Rampersaud. The law requires that the sodium level be only 25% less than the original product. But if that product happens to be very high in salt to begin with—like many soups and broths—you may still be getting a lot of sodium. "To ensure that you get 140 mg or less per serving, look for products marked low in sodium," says Rampersaud.
Labels: Diet Tips
