Eating salty foods, small habits but big health consequences
Many families still maintain the habit of "eating a lot of food for fun", but this habit silently pushes up blood pressure, leading to the risk of heart disease and stroke. Not only the elderly, but also the young are affected by the fact that their daily meals contain too much salt.
According to international recommendations, each person should only consume less than 2,300 mg of salt/day. However, in reality, the amount of salt intake is often much higher because braised dishes, rum, canned foods and processed meats are very popular in rice trays.
Excess sodium puts pressure on the vessel walls, causing significant increases in blood pressure in many people, says Professor Stephani Johnson, a visiting lecturer in Clinical Nutrition and Preventive Medicine at Rutgers College of Medicine. Controlling your salt intake is an important step to protect your heart.
5 easy ways to reduce salt in daily meals
Increase flavor with herbs and natural spices: Instead of seasoning with salt, you can use garlic powder, paprika, coriander, gold, vinegar, lemon or unsalted spices. They make dishes more fragrant without adding sodium.
Read food labels carefully when shopping: Many products seem similar but the salt content can be very different. Comparing between brands is a simple way to reduce hundreds of milligrams of sodium per day, said Prof. Johnson stressed.
Limit canned and processed foods: canned soups, sausages, bacon, fast food, and salty snacks all contain very high levels of salt. Cutting these dishes significantly reduces sodium.
Prioritize fresh ingredients: Fresh vegetables, unprocessed meats, and whole grains that are naturally low in sodium. Building meals around these food groups will automatically reduce salt without much effort.
Do not leave a bottle of salt on the dining table: A small habit but has great strength: when salt is not in front of your eyes, you will miss more seasoning.
Although it is difficult to change immediately, gradually reducing salt in meals will help each family be healthier. As Prof. Johnson recommends: Starting with small things, choosing natural spices, limiting processed foods, you have created an important shield for the heart of the whole family.
