A high sodium diet can result in many health hazards, the worst of which include high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. This is well known information amongst the health-conscious, and many take steps to improve their diets by avoiding the salt they take in. Unfortunately however, sodium exists in extreme levels in the foods many of us eat each day without a second thought.
FROZEN FOODS are some of the highest sodium foods on the market. The reason for all the salt is that when frozen and sitting for long periods, prepared foods lose much of their original integrity and flavor. Salt is the easy and cheap way to inject flavor back into the product without care for the health of the consumer who is eating it. Common frozen foods like TV dinners and pizza often have over 1,500mg of sodium. The salt serves as a flavor preserver and enhancer of less than high quality foods. As many chefs say, use salt if you have no other way of creating flavor. The sodium also acts as a preservative for the frozen meals if they should thaw at any time during shipment or storage.
It’s no secret that most FAST FOODs are high in all the things you should avoid as part of a healthy diet. There is no fast food chain around the world which does not distribute food high in fat, cholesterol and of course sodium. While many studies pay close attention to fats and cholesterol, the sodium content of fast foods often goes unnoticed. The extreme amounts of salt in fast foods are as much of a health hazard if not more so than the other elements. The high blood pressure and increased heart rate that salt causes can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and arrhythmia, especially when coupled with a diet high in fat and cholesterol.
CANNED FOODS
Canned foods are high in sodium for the same reasons as frozen foods, preservation and added flavor. Whenever you eat foods preserved for long storage you can expect high sodium levels. Fresh is best and home cooked is almost always far more healthy than prepared or preserved foods of any kind.
RESTAURANT/PREPARED FOODS
Some restaurants use extreme amounts of sodium in their food. As a general rule, the less talent the chef has, the more salt finds its way into his or her food. Chain restaurants are notorious for the extreme amounts of salt used in their dishes. This is often because chain restaurants serve semi-prepared foods and for the most part do not use fresh ingredients. Chains are not the only culprits however, many restaurants enhance their foods with extreme and sometimes harmful amounts of salt.
PIZZA
The ingredients in pizza are not unhealthy on their own. Dough, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil are all perfectly fine when eaten alone. It is when they are combined to create low quality pizza that they become unhealthy. Some tomato sauces have high sodium levels as do some cheeses and even dough.
EATING HIGH SODIUM FOODS;
If you do eat any of these or other high sodium foods make sure to accompany them with lots of water. Water will help to dilute and remove sodium from your system thereby lowering heart rate, blood pressure and the length of time that sodium will stay in your body.
SOURCES:
Mayo Clinic: How to Tame Your Salt Habit Now
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284
Prepared Foods Network: High Salt Intake and Strokes
http://www.preparedfoods.com/Articles/Daily_News/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000993564
Boston: Prepared Foods Drive up Intake of Salt in US
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/06/25/prepared_foods_contribute_to_high_risk_salt_intake_in_us/
Washington University in St Louis: Meniere’s Page, Sodium Content of Common Foods
http://oto2.wustl.edu/men/sodium.htm
Ask Men: Healthy Frozen Dinners
http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/137_eating_well.html
MSNBC: Should You Defrost Your Diet?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11992264/ns/health-fitness/
