Salt is pointed out by nutritionists, indeed, it increases the risks of hyper blood pressure. But beyond that, we add salt while cooking, in our plates… Did you know that salt is found in many processed foods? So how much should you eat?
Maïa Baudelaire, Nutritionist, Diet Coach, expert in eating habits and founder of her own method www.maiabaudelaire.com, tells you everything you need to know about salt and its consumption.
First of all, I’ll explain you the difference between “salt” and “sodium“. Of course, you read those names on the labels! But is it the same thing?
In fact it’s very simple: salt contains sodium chloride (its scientific name sodium chloride). So if you read the label “salt”, the actual amount of sodium is 40% the specified value.
Ex: for 3g of salt, you will have 40*3/100 = 1.2g sodium.
Our body needs sodium to maintain the proper fluid balance and to help in contractions and muscle movement. But high levels of sodium can increase blood pressure and the force applied on artery walls will damage the cardiovascular system and blood flow.
It is therefore recommended to limit your intake to less than 2.3 g per day, equivalent to only 1 teaspoon of salt.
People with hypertension, and the elderly should reduce their intake to 1.5g. Your challenge this week is to pay attention to labels and how often you pour salt in your plate…
My advice: Try to replace salt with spices and other flavors poor in sodium, and, of course, check your blood pressure with your doctor!
