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Directions
Do not add any form of salt to cooking or at the table. This includes rock salt and sea salt which are very similar to table salt. You may find fairly quickly that your sense of taste adjusts so that you no longer like the taste of salt.
Try to use fresh, unprocessed food e.g. vegetables, fruit, fish, chicken and meat, which all contain only very small amounts of salt.
Levels of salt and food labelling
Most processed foods are now labelled with the amount of salt that is in the food. Unfortunately, these labels are difficult to understand. Your total daily consumption should be no more than 2gm of sodium per day, which means 5gm of salt. The easiest way to avoid salt is to stick to a couple of rules:- Avoid all foods that have more than 0.2gm of sodium per 100gm. Examples include:
- Cornflakes = 1.1
- Bread = 0.5 - 1.2
- Cheese = 0.6 - 1.4
- Ideally only eat foods containing less than 0.1gm of sodium per 100gm. There is a HUGE difference between the levels of sodium in fresh and processed foods. Examples include:
- Fresh Fruit = 0.0 - 0.01
- Vegetables = 0.0 - 0.02
- Fresh Meat = 0.05
- Fresh Fish = 0.5
Foods with low salt content include:- Fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses and lentils
- Pasta, rice and potatoes
- Some cereals (without salt and fat). Porridge is low in salt; do not add any when making it.
- Unsalted nuts
- Olive oil for cooking
- Herbs, spices, chilli, garlic, ginger, lemon juice - to enhance the natural flavor of food
- Meat, especially chicken (with skin removed)
- Fresh fish (not battered or smoked)
Foods with high salt content include:- Processed meat products usually contain very large amounts of salt e.g. ham, bacon, sausages, hamburgers, meat paste/pate, canned meat. The sodium content varies between 0.8 - 2.0gm per 100gm.
- Smoked or canned fish
- Meat and yeast extracts, stock cubes
- Snacks - potato chips, salted or roasted peanuts
- Salted or flavored (e.g. cheese) biscuits or crackers
- Canned vegetables, baked beans
- All bottled sauces, ketchup, chutney, salad cream
- Bread contains about 0.5 - 1.1gm of sodium per 100gm. Some supermarkets sell bread with less salt.
- Most breakfast cereals are very high in salt, e.g. cornflakes which contain 1.1gm of sodium per 100gm. Some, however, contain very little - as always, read the labels.
- Cheese, particularly hard and blue cheeses
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Salt Intake Reduction can help with the following: | | | | | Circulation |  Hypertension | If you have high blood pressure, reducing the level of salt in your diet will reduce your blood pressure. In some people with mild high blood pressure this could free them from blood-pressure-lowering medications entirely. In people with marked high blood pressure, it should mean that a reduction in medications is possible. If you are taking medication for high blood pressure, particularly diuretics, let your doctor know that you are reducing your salt intake.
Salt restriction is recommended for those individuals with hypertension who are "salt-sensitive" or are prone to retaining sodium, gaining weight, and developing a rise in blood pressure as a result of a high-salt diet. Those who are "salt-resistant", on the other hand, do not experience change in weight or blood pressure on either high- or low-salt diets. For the salt-sensitive population, extreme amounts of salt restriction are not needed for improvement of blood pressure. Several studies have shown that diets containing 1600 to 2300mg of sodium per day are associated with average reductions in systolic pressure of -9 to -15mm Hg and in diastolic pressure of -7 to -16mm Hg in salt-sensitive individuals. Thus, salt restriction in this range is recommended in the dietary management of most individuals with hypertension. |
Atherosclerosis
 Varicose Veins |
Diet |
 Salt Sensitivity| | On average, only 10% of dietary sodium comes from salt added to food at the table. Therefore, beyond eliminating salt from the table, it is recommended that one reduces preserved and processed food consumption and avoids adding excessive salt to food being prepared at home. Ideally, one should try to reduce daily salt intake to 2,400mg (slightly more than 1 tsp). People should check food labels and watch out for high sodium items, including such processed foods as luncheon meats, prepared cheeses, canned vegetables, snack foods and baked products. |
Excess Salt Consumption |
Musculo-Skeletal |
Osteoporosis - Osteopenia |
Organ Health |
Poor Bone Health| | Because urinary sodium excretion and urinary calcium excretion occur together in the kidneys, increasing the level of dietary sodium triggers urinary calcium losses [Massey and Whiting, 1996]. According to data from salt-loading trials, when calcium consumption is moderate or high, 500mg of sodium ingested as sodium chloride will draw out about 10mg of calcium. [Institute of Medicine 1997, p. 75; Massey and Whiting, 1996] In other words, sodium leaches calcium from the bones. |
Glomerulonephritis| | If you have IgAN with hypertension or edema, you may be asked to reduce sodium intake. An actual 'renal diet' (low protein, low potassium, low sodium, low phosphorus, high calories) is not required until IgAN has progressed to more advanced renal failure. The purpose of such a renal diet is not to delay progression of IgAN, but mainly to minimize the uremic symptoms of chronic renal failure. |
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Respiratory |
Asthma| | Studies suggest that high salt intake may have an adverse effect on asthma, particularly in men. In a small, preliminary trial, doubling salt intake for one month led to a small increase in airway reactivity (indicating a worsening of asthma) in men with asthma, as well as in non-asthmatics. [BMJ 1988;297:454] At least four double-blind trials have provided limited evidence of clinical improvement following a period of sodium restriction. It is difficult to compare the results of these studies because they used different amounts of sodium restriction. However, they consistently suggest that increased dietary sodium may aggravate asthma symptoms, especially in men. [Clin Exp Allergy 2000;30: pp.615-27] |
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Skin-Hair-Nails |
Rosacea |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Asthma (Asthmatic)
A lung disorder marked by attacks of breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing, and thick mucus coming from the lungs. The episodes may be triggered by breathing foreign substances (allergens) or pollutants, infection, vigorous exercise, or emotional stress. Extrinsic Asthma is triggered by pollen, chemicals or some other external agent; Intrinsic Asthma is triggered by boggy membranes, congested tissues, or other native causes… even adrenalin stress or exertion.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Chronic Renal Failure (Chronic Renal Insufficiency, Kidney Failure, Renal Insufficiency)
(CRF) Irreversible, progressive impaired kidney function. The early stage, when the kidneys no longer function properly but do not yet require dialysis, is known as Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRI). CRI can be difficult to diagnose, as symptoms are not usually apparent until kidney disease has progressed significantly. Common symptoms include a frequent need to urinate and swelling, as well as possible anemia, fatigue, weakness, headaches and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bad breath and itchy skin may develop as toxic metabolites, normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys, build up to harmful levels. Over time (up to 10 or 20 years), CRF generally progresses from CRI to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD, also known as Kidney Failure). Patients with ESRD no longer have kidney function adequate to sustain life and require dialysis or kidney transplantation. Without proper treatment, ESRD is fatal.
Diastolic
Pertaining to the relaxation phase of the heartbeat, or period when the heart muscle is resting and filling with blood. When used in blood pressure readings (for example 120/80), it refers to the second/lower number.
Diuretic (Diuretics)
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Edema
Abnormal accumulation of fluids within tissues resulting in swelling.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Herbs (Herb, Herbal)
Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, teas should be made with one teaspoon herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Tinctures may be used singly or in combination as noted. The high doses of single herbs suggested may be best taken as dried extracts (in capsules), although tinctures (60 drops four times per day) and teas (4 to 6 cups per day) may also be used.
Hg
The chemical symbol for mercury, often used to indicate pressure measurements in either inches or millimeters.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Millimeter (Millimeters, mm)
A metric unit of length equaling one thousandth of a meter, or one tenth of a centimeter. There are 25.4 millimeters in one inch.
Phosphorus
The second most abundant mineral in the body, found in every living cell. It is involved in the proper functioning of both muscles and nerves. It is needed for metabolic processes of all cells, to activate many other nutrients, and to form energy-storage and energy-releasing compounds. The phosphorus content of the body is approximately 1% of total body weight. Phosphorus combines with fats to form phospholipids. Combined with calcium, it gives strength and rigidity to the bones and teeth.
Potassium
A mineral that serves as an electrolyte and is involved in the balance of fluid within the body. Our bodies contain more than twice as much potassium as sodium (typically 9oz versus 4oz). About 98% of total body potassium is inside our cells. Potassium is the principal cation (positive ion) of the fluid within cells and is important in controlling the activity of the heart, muscles, nervous system and just about every cell in the body. Potassium regulates the water balance and acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. Evidence is showing that potassium is also involved in bone calcification. Potassium is a cofactor in many reactions, especially those involving energy production and muscle building.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Sodium
An essential mineral that our bodies regulate and conserve. Excess sodium retention increases the fluid volume (edema) and low sodium leads to less fluid and relative dehydration. The adult body averages a total content of over 100 grams of sodium, of which a surprising one-third is in bone. A small amount of sodium does get into cell interiors, but this represents only about ten percent of the body content. The remaining 57 percent or so of the body sodium content is in the fluid immediately surrounding the cells, where it is the major cation (positive ion). The role of sodium in the extracellular fluid is maintaining osmotic equilibrium (the proper difference in ions dissolved in the fluids inside and outside the cell) and extracellular fluid volume. Sodium is also involved in nerve impulse transmission, muscle tone and nutrient transport. All of these functions are interrelated with potassium.
Systolic
Pertaining to the contraction phase of the heartbeat, or the pressure in the arterial system caused by the heart as blood is being pumped out. When used in blood pressure readings (for example 120/80), it refers to the first/upper number.
Teaspoon (Teaspoons, tsp)
Equivalent to 5cc (5ml).
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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