Sneaky Salt Affects Health

Think reducing salt in your diet just means reaching for the shaker a little less often? Sure, that’s part of it, but it turns out that the majority of the sodium in Americans’ diets comes not in those visible white granules, but from processed foods, such as deli meats, canned goods, fast foods, and even breakfast cereals. Scientists have linked excessive salt consumption to increased risk for hypertension, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and stroke; in fact, the American Medical Association estimates that if Americans cut their salt consumption in half over the next 10 years, 150,000 premature deaths will be prevented annually. The New York City Health Department and Mayor Bloomberg have taken this issue to heart, teaming up with food industry leaders to reduce the amount of salt in their products. As always, the bottom line stays the same: Read labels religiously and rely on whole foods to maintain the healthiest possible diet.