Insidious health threat, or innocent flavor enhancer? Take a closer look at the planets tastiest mineralByMaria Masters, Mens Health America has declared war on salt. The nutrition militia, claiming that the enemy is attacking you and your buddies, points to hypertension stats: More than 20 percent of American men between 35 and 44 have high blood pressure. Even the Institute of Medicine is leaning on the government to set standards for sodium content in foods; and the American Heart Association, along with the City of New York and 30 other cities, is promoting a new National Salt Reduction Initiative.So should you enlist? Its a tough battle. If people want to avoid salt, they really cantnot unless they skip processed, prepared, and restaurant foods, says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University.20 Little changes you can make today for a healthier life.Whats more, salt may not even be the true enemy. Before you sign up to fight, tune out the hysteria and plunge into the latest nutrition intel.
Can I live without salt?
NopeSalt is essential to health. Your body cant make it, and your cells need it to function, says Aryan Aiyer, M.D., director of the heart center at Magee-Womens Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh medical center. In fact, the Institute of Medicine recommends consuming at least 3.8 grams of salt a day (just over 1/2 teaspoon), mainly for the sodium.Eat this, not that:The 30 saltiest foods in America.Sodium is an electrolyte, a humble member of that hyped class of minerals that help maintain muscle function and hydration; thats why sport drinks contain sodium. Youre constantly losing sodium through sweat and urine, and if you dont replenish th! at sodiu m and water, your blood pressure may drop far enough to make you dizzy and light-headed. Sodium acts like a sponge to help hold fluids in your blood, says Rikki Keen, R.D., an adjunct instructor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Alaska.However, people who chug too much water can lower their sodium levels so far that they develop hyponatremia, a potentially deadly condition more common among recreational exercisers than professional athletes, says Marie Spano, R.D., a sports nutritionist in Atlanta. Salt does more than just make our food taste good; without it, wed die.
