![]() The average Canadian takes in 3400 mg of sodium per day. This is more than twice as much sodium as is needed for good health. Men, women and children are. Our nutrition calculator has the McDonald's menu nutrition information you're seeking. Learn more about your favorite meals. You can consume up to 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. Lower sodium DASH diet. You can consume up to 1,500 mg of sodium a day. IFIC Review: Sodium in Food and Health - IFIC Foundation. When you think of sodium, salt probably comes to mind. Although the two terms, “sodium” and “salt” are often used interchangeably, they are different substances. The chemical name for salt, sodium chloride, reveals that sodium is in fact a component of salt. By weight, salt is composed of 4. One teaspoon of salt weighs 5 grams and contains about 2,3. Sodium is essential for life and for good health. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It is a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself so it must be supplied by food. Sodium is readily available from various sources—foods that contain sodium naturally, foods containing salt and other sodium- containing ingredients, and from salt added to foods during cooking and at the table. As a component of salt, sodium’s most recognized role is to make foods more flavorful. Less well- known, yet important roles of sodium- containing ingredients include helping to preserve foods, improving the texture of foods, and ensuring the safety of some foods. Compared to other minerals, the human body needs sodium in relatively large amounts. Yet, much of the world’s population consumes more than the body’s minimum requirement for sodium. ![]() In some individuals, research suggests a link between high sodium and salt intake and high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. However, this relationship may be affected by concurrent intake of other key minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Regulating sodium intake is also believed to be important in preventing and treating other health conditions. This IFIC Review provides background on the use of sodium as a food ingredient and sodium’s role in sustaining health. It also summarizes current knowledge on the effects of sodium and salt intake on the development and treatment of disease. HISTORY OF SALTSalt has a long history as a highly- valued commodity. ![]() ![]() Salty foods can be found in places you hadn. And foods high in sodium are sometimes hard to avoid. But arm yourself with tips to make smart. A low sodium diet is a diet that includes no more than 1,500 to 2,400 mg of sodium per day. The human minimum requirement for sodium in the diet is about 500 mg per. Over the years, salt has served many diverse purposes and roles beyond its use in seasoning foods. One of salt’s most recognized uses, dating back to early centuries, has been in preserving foods, including meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruit. Salting foods prevented spoiling by drawing water out of the food, depriving bacteria of the moisture needed to thrive. Without salt, the world’s food supply would have been considerably less plentiful and less safe. Until about two hundred years ago, salting was the primary method available for preserving foods. As a result, salty flavors were common and well- accepted. By the nineteenth century, other methods of food preservation emerged, including canning, freezing, and refrigeration. This led to a change in taste preferences and a desire for less salty flavors. By the twentieth century, commercially available methods of food preservation, such as pasteurization, freeze- drying, irradiation, and the use of preservatives, allowed food manufacturers to preserve many foods on a larger scale without relying on salt. Today, salt is still used for food preservation, but the majority of the world’s salt is used for industrial purposes, including highway salting, water conditioning, and the manufacture of chlorine and other chemicals. At various times and places throughout history, salt also played an economic role. The ancient Greeks used salt as currency. Roman soldiers received a salt ration as part of their pay, known as “salarium argentum,” from which the English word for “salary” was derived. Other cultures relied heavily on salt production and trade, and salt even has been the cause of a bitter war. Salt also has played a vital part in religious rituals in certain cultures. Over many centuries, it has been used symbolically—as a symbol of wisdom when given to a newborn in ancient Rome and, in Europe, a pinch of salt was tossed over the left shoulder three times to fend off evil. Even today, “take it with a grain of salt” is a well- known phrase that conveys the thought to not take something too seriously. In the early 1. 92. Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), which can cause goiter and other more serious complications, including mental retardation. In the United States, salt producers made both iodized salt and plain salt available at the same cost to encourage its use. Ultimately, the widespread use of iodized salt eliminated iodine deficiency in North America. In other parts of the world, however, iodine deficiency remains a health problem because many countries lack manufacturing and packaging technologies needed to iodize salt. The elimination of iodine deficiency worldwide has been identified as one of the highest health priorities by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Today, salt is inexpensive and universally available. It comes from either salt mines or from the sea. Most salt is mined from large deposits left by dried salt lakes throughout the world. SCIENCE OF SODIUM IN FOODSalt and other sodium- containing ingredients are commonly added during food preparation and processing. Although enhancing flavor is a key role of salt, other functional roles of sodium in food are much broader. Taste and sensory factors“Salty” is known as one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. Unlike the other four tastes, which have many triggers, only sodium chloride is associated with the unique taste of saltiness. Scientists have attempted to mimic this taste with salt substitutes with limited success. While lower sodium food products generally taste less salty, they often require the use of other ingredients to add or enhance flavor. Although scientists believe that the preference for salty flavor is innate, there is evidence that the level of salt preference is learned. In fact, early experiences with low or high salt diets may have a long- term impact on an individual’s preferred salt level. Studies have demonstrated that a gradual reduction in sodium intake over 8 to 1. Adding just a few grains of salt can bring out a food’s natural flavor without contributing a salty taste. Interestingly, foods with higher levels of sodium do not necessarily taste salty. For example, some baked goods may contain more sodium than some frozen entrees. Similarly, foods with surface sodium, such as French fries, typically have a greater salty taste than foods with sodium already incorporated, such as baked goods, even though they may contain less total sodium. Foods with less moisture, such as potato chips, generally require more salt for a salty taste as compared to foods with more moisture, such as French fries. In crackers, pretzels, and other dry foods, salt is believed to decrease the perception of dryness. Salt is also used to help balance any metallic or chemical aftertaste in products such as soft drinks. Which Salt? Salt is available in various crystal sizes and shapes, each with different purposes. Table salt is a fine- grained salt that often contains an anti- caking ingredient, such as calcium silicate, to keep it free- flowing. It is available iodized or non- iodized. This type of salt is mainly used in cooking and at the table. Kosher salt contains no additives and has a coarse grain. Gourmet cooks often prefer the texture and flavor of kosher salt in cooking. It is frequently used in the preparation of kosher meats. Sea salt comes in either fine or coarse grain and has a slightly different taste caused by other minerals it contains. It is produced by evaporation of sea water and is often named after the originating sea—Black Sea, French, or Hawaiian sea salt. Salt connoisseurs prefer sea salt for table use because they claim it has a more subtle flavor. Pickling salt is a fine- grained salt used for brines to make pickles and sauerkraut. It contains no iodine or anti- caking ingredients, which would make the brine cloudy. Specialty salts, such as popcorn salt, pretzel salt, or margarita salt, are salts of various grain sizes and textures used for special purposes. Often, other types of salt, such as table salt or kosher salt, can be substituted for these specialty salts with similar results. Seasoned salt is a salt blend that includes herbs and other seasoning ingredients. Because of the added flavor ingredients, this may allow for use of less seasoned salt as compared to other types of salt. This may be referred to as “light” salt for that reason. Salt substitutes, also referred to as light salts, typically replace all or some of the sodium with another mineral, such as potassium or magnesium. Rock salt is a non- food salt of a larger crystal size. Because salt lowers the freezing point of ice, it causes ice to melt. For this reason, rock salt is frequently used as a de- icing agent for sidewalks and driveways. It also is used in combination with ice to make ice cream in certain types of home ice cream freezers. As the ice melts, it absorbs heat from the ice cream, helping it to freeze more quickly. Food preservation and safety. Salt and sodium- containing ingredients preserve the quality and safety of foods by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds, which in turn help to prevent food spoilage and foodborne illness. Foods most commonly preserved with salt and sodium- containing ingredients to prevent the growth of bacteria include cured, ready- to- eat meats and processed cheese products. Microorganisms of particular concern include Clostridium botulinum, which produces a toxin responsible for foodborne botulism, and Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, a serious infection with high mortality. In ready- to- eat meats, salt, in combination with either sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite, plays an important role in preventing the growth of spoilage organisms and C. For example, natural cheeses contain salt, which helps prevent growth of yeasts and molds. In salad dressings, salt along with acidic ingredients prevent the growth of spoilage bacteria, yeasts, and molds.
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