Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Sodium A BIG Problem for Many

As many as half of the 70 million people in the United States with hypertension turn out to be sensitive to salt, versus 10 percent of Americans in general. Even so, only 22 percent of patients stick with a hypertension-taming, low-salt DASH diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. That’s down from 30 percent in 1994. “We’re going in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Phillip Mellen of the Hattiesburg Health Clinic in Mississippi, who has studied nutritional aspects of high blood pressure. -New York Times article

Most Americans find it extremely tough eating a low-sodium diet. The only answer to this problem is regulating the sodium content in foods, thus forcing companies to find better ways to maintain flavor.

A cup of canned soup contains at least 1,000 mg of sodium. So does a frozen dinner or serving of pizza.

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