Too much salt is bad for the body; well no duh, too much of anything is bad. However I did find it quite interesting that the taste of salt is a learned behavior. I always thought it was naturual for people to like salty foods, but I guess it's just because of the fast food plus the snack industry increasement in the recent decades. Americans typically eat twice the amount of salt that a person should eat in a day. Also, teens are currently the largest age group that eats too much salt. If teens lower the amount of salt consumption it could lower the hypertension rates by 68% and it would also decrease the chances for heart conditions for the future.
10 comments:
Most people know that too much salt consumption can cause serious conditions for the body in the future. However, most high schools give out foods that pack loads of salt such as french fries, potato chips, cup of noodles, and much more. It's also important for people to know that your body needs some salt in order to function properly. Statistically , it's no surprise that we consume twice the amount of salt an average person should take in a day. It's how our lifestyle is, and we clearly need to change it.
I agree with Josh and the original poster. The average American currently consume 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day while the recommended intake is 1,500 mg. This puts many at risk of high blood pressure and other dangerous body conditions. I agree with Josh and the original poster; our environment is the biggest reason for our unhealthy lifestyle. Taking into consideration the sheer number of Americans affected by over-consumption of salt, the federal government should do more to regulate this.
In actuality, salt is an essential part of our bodies. Many are under the false pretense that salt increases blood pressure. However, it is true that a steady proportion of salt to water is needed to regulate blood pressure. In this sense, people who take in a lot of salt from fast food and this so-called "snack industry" may be making up their salt deficiency that they acquire elsewhere.
Furthermore, studies have shown that salt is vital for sleep regulation, is vital in the quest to prevent muscle cramps, and is vital for maintaining sexuality.
I just find it mildly discomforting that everyone is proceeding under these pretenses that salt is bad for the body in the media. Because it's not.
@Ryan:
We are not insinuating that salt is bad. We are just saying that too much salt is bad. Just like too much water is bad (you can die from drinking too much water).
I never knew that liking the taste of salt is a learned behavior, but then technically isn't any food we like something we are conditioned to find appealing?
We do also, like Ryan said, need salt to survive. I believe that while we should not think of salt as a bad thing, it should be treated with caution especially considering the immense prominence in our culture's food. Ironically, even most
"diet" products contain a TON of sodium, because as food chemists know, salt doesn't add calories. My mom bought one of those lean cuisine dinners once, wow they are LOADED with salt. If you are considering watching your salt intake, don't mistake "healthy" labeled foods as low in sodium.
Just like anything you learn in any nutrition, biology or science class...too little of anything or too much is not good! The middle is just right...in goodly amounts, it is healthy to eat salt! We obviously need it to live...just over excessive natures of our society cause us to indulge too greatly! Slow it down and moderation is key!
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AHA/23385
This article pretty much defends the assertions that we should intake less salt.
"The recommendation for sodium in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the American Heart Association is 2,400 milligrams (mg) daily for adults. This is about the amount in 1 teaspoon of salt (2,300 mg to be exact). The average American consumes 5,000 mg of sodium daily — twice the necessary amount".
We've been told that we eat too much salt for years now, yet we don't change our habits and i don't see that happening in the future.
agreeing with mr catiggay, why would you avoid eating the foods you love?
sometimes it's the only way to eat certain foods. a person can survive on potatoes but you wouldn't call it "living" unless you put something on it. sooo.. we put salt on it and throw it in deep fried oil!
saying salt is bad for you is like saying to much sugar is bad for you, or too much fatty foods is bad for you. in the end, a lot of things are bad for you, but it all satisfies your cravings and taste
- Raymond Lim
This information is very helpful, and it can only benefit us with the right decisions. People should take these facts and apply it to improving the health of the future.
I think we're all pretty much aware of that fact that too much salt isn't good for our bodies, but then again I don't feel that many people care. We know it's bad for us...yet we keep eating Mcdonalds and Cup of Noodles and all of that stuff just because it's more available to us. I think that if we just take some time to carefully manage what we eat, balance our healthy food with the fatty fast food (once in a while) wouldn't hurt us as much, but it's just that we have to make ourselves come through and do it; not just SAY we're going to change our eating lifestyle when clearly we're not putting our words into actions.
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