Tag: salt

Potassium-enriched salt?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. You recently pointed out the importance of balancing potassium and sodium intake.   They already add iodine, fluoride and/or iron to table salt.   Why is there no potassium-enriched table salt?

A. Actually, there is (sort of).  Low-sodium salt substitutes are usually made with potassium chloride,  a mineral salt formed from potassium instead of sodium.  Potassium chloride tastes salty, but can have a bitter or metallic aftertaste. On the plus side, a quarter teaspoon contains 650 mg of potassium!

See also:  The Great Salt Debate

Why Can’t Experts Agree on Sodium?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling FabulousThink the debate over the national debt was contentious? That’s nothing compared to the war being waged in scientific circles about how much sodium it’s safe to eat.  As researchers duke it out in the pages of medical journals, poor consumers are caught in a cross-fire of contradictory recommendations.   In this week’s podcast, I tell you what you need to know to stay out of trouble. Read or listen to it here.

Shop Smart: Finding the Healthiest Options

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. We just moved to Texas from Ireland.  I am trying to find a bread in local markets that has no sugar and low salt.  I am also trying to find canned/jars of plain crushed tomatoes with no salt as I make my own sauce. I am shocked at the amounts of salt and sugar in everything here in the USA.   

A. When you eat foods that are high in salt and/or sugar, you get accustomed to a greater degree of saltiness and sweetness.  I guess the selection of processed foods you’re finding in American grocery stores shows what we’ve become accustomed to.  (The good news? It works both ways: You can retrain your tastebuds to prefer less salt and sugar by gradually decreasing the amounts.)

See also:  The Great Salt Debate

It should be possible to find some brands that are lower in salt and sugar, though, even in a mainstream grocery store.  Ezekiel, Pepperidge Farm, and Nature’s Own all make breads that are relatively low in salt and sugar, for example. Hunt’s and DelMonte both produce canned tomatoes with no salt.

To make the hunt for healthier options a little easier, check out the following tools: Continue reading “Shop Smart: Finding the Healthiest Options” >

Forget Salt. Focus on Potassium.

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

That pain in your neck? Another case of nutrition whiplash, I’m afraid. Earlier this year, the USDA’s new Dietary Guidelines for Americans made the need to reduce sodium intake one of its primary messages.

Then, just last week, a new Cochrane Review concluded that  “cutting down on the amount of salt has no clear benefits in terms of likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease.” Continue reading “Forget Salt. Focus on Potassium.” >

Is Salt Unfairly Demonized?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. In a recent interview,  you mentioned cutting back on added sugar as one of the most important things you can do to improve your diet. I noticed you didn’t mention the importance of limiting sodium.    Do you think the concerns over sodium are over-blown?

A.  In a word, yes.  In the recently released 2010 Dietary Guide for Americans, they really came down hard on salt, stressing the need for all Americans to reduce their sodium intake.  Given all the things about the typical American diet that could use fixing, I thought it was a little odd how much emphasis they put on this. (Obviously, the salt lobby was asleep at the switch during the hearings…)

The rationale for universal sodium restriction rests a string of loosely related statistics:

Continue reading “Is Salt Unfairly Demonized?” >