Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease include high blood cholesterol, being overweight and having high blood pressure. Making lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising and restricting your sodium intake are excellent approaches to reduce your risk for heart disease. A low-salt diet may be especially helpful as it lowers the risk of hypertension as well as improves the long-term outlook for your heart. Consult your doctor to develop a dietary plan that is appropriate for you.
Dietary Sodium
Some sodium is naturally contained in many foods. For example, dairy products, drinking water and some vegetables contain small amounts of sodium. The largest contribution to salt in your diet, however, comes from processed foods, fast foods and salt added to food at the table. MedlinePlus indicates that daily intake of sodium should not exceed 2,300mg, the approximate amount contained in 1 tsp. of table salt.
Contribution to Heart Disease
The body maintains a balance between sodium and water in the blood and tissues. Consuming too much sodium may upset this balance, increasing blood pressure and putting stress on the kidneys, which must excrete the extra sodium. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart attack and heart failure. Over time, it may damage blood vessels and lead to coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries. Eating a diet low in sodium may prevent high blood pressure from developing and help keep your blood vessels healthy.
Choosing Foods
Most freshly prepared foods contain little natural sodium and are healthy choices. For example, fresh vegetables usually provide between 1 and 70mg of sodium in one-half cup. Avoid canned vegetables, which contain up to 460mg per half-cup. Choose fresh meats and fish, avoiding processed versions such as lunch meats and canned tuna, which are usually high in sodium. Avoid salted or cured meats such as ham, bacon and sausage. Eat cheese sparingly since it may also be high in salt. For example, American cheese provides 600mg in a 2-oz. slice. Finally, consume foods in brine such as pickles and olives very sparingly.
Other Strategies
Avoid using table salt to season food. Instead, use spices or lemon juice to add flavor to meals. Cook grains, potatoes and hot cereal without added salt and use low-salt versions of soy sauce and other condiments. Rinse canned foods before consuming to remove salt, or choose low-salt versions of these foods. Read the Nutrition Facts labels on all purchased foods to determine sodium content. When dining out, ask that food be prepared without added salt whenever possible.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Sodium: How to tame your salt habit now
- American Heart Association: Why Should I Limit Sodium?
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH
- MedlinePlus: High Bood Pressure
- MayoClinic.com: Low-sodium diet: Why is processed food so salty?
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Heart Disease Risk Factors
