A cardiac diet aims to provide the nutrition you need while keeping your heart healthy. Restricting salt intake is one of the primary principles of a heart-healthy diet. Excess dietary salt contains an element called sodium, and may lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Sodium attracts fluid in your body. Eating too much sodium often promotes fluid accumulation that makes it difficult for your heart to pump.
How Much Sodium?
A cardiac diet is usually restricted to 2,000 mg of sodium per day or less. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends 2,300 mg of sodium per day for healthy adults and 1,500 mg of sodium per day for certain populations including adults over the age of 50, African Americans and people with diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure. The American Heart Association supports a more conservative recommendation of 1,500 mg of sodium per day for Americans over the age of 20. Your doctor can tell you the amount of sodium that is right for your body.
Dietary Sources of Sodium
Table salt is very high in sodium with 1 tsp. of salt containing 2,345 mg of sodium. Processed convenience foods such as boxed dinners, frozen entrees, and canned soups, fish and vegetables are also extremely high in sodium. Limit cured and processed meats, such as ham, bacon, sausage and lunch meats that contain large amounts of sodium. Other foods high in sodium include cheeses, especially those that are highly processed such as American or cottage cheese and salty snack foods such as chips, pretzels and crackers. Be cautious with seasoning blends such as garlic salt and lemon pepper as these often contain a lot of salt.
Healthy Choices
Choose minimally processed foods to reduce your sodium intake. Eat a variety of healthy foods including fresh or frozen lean meats, legumes and unsalted nuts, milk, low-sodium cheeses, whole grain breads and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Choose fruits and vegetables for snacks, or unsalted crackers, chips or pretzels. Use different herbs, spices, and citrus fruits to season your foods.
Nutrition Labels
Nutrition labels are found on most products bought at the grocery store. Use nutrition labels to compare the amount of sodium on different products and choose lower sodium options. Some foods advertise that they are "low sodium" or "sodium free." These can be good choices if you are trying to reduce your sodium intake. A food labeled "low sodium" contains 140 mg of sodium or less per serving. A food labeled "sodium-free" contain 5 mg of sodium or less per serving. Be sure to keep serving sizes in mind when adding up your sodium intake for the day; many products contain more than a single serving.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Heart-Healthy Diet: 8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
- American Heart Association; American Heart Association Supports Lower Sodium Limits for Most Americans; March 2009
- Cleveland Clinic: Low-Sodium Diet Guidelines
