14 DAY TRIAL // US medical experts warn that Americans consume too much salt, which is a harmful factor for their health. If the daily intake of salt recommended by food watchers is the equivalent of 1 quarter teaspoon, it is a known fact that most of the population consume far more than this amount of sodium chloride (salt).
We are not talking only about the amount of salt we usually add to a dish in order to make it tastier. We also talk about processed food, which can "swig" extremely high amounts of salt without tasting like it. Nutritionists warn that this otherwise unhealthy food is laden with huge quantities of salt, which we cannot trace in chips, fast - food products etc. All this happens due to the fact that the salty taste is covered and "backed up" by flavor, taste and many other food additives.
For instance, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese usually contains about half a teaspoon of salt (double than the daily recommended amount of salt), two slices of Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Stuffed Crust pizza contain more than a teaspoon of salt, canned soups contain about a quarter teaspoon and so on. And to prove that we sometimes fail to correctly estimate the amount of salt in a food, please note that a serving of Cheerios contains more salt than a serving of Ruffles potato chips. A bit surprised, aren't you?
"Americans are getting a hidden salt load - they have no clue that they are eating so much. So many Americans get their food through restaurants, fast foods and processed foods," insisted James Rohack, member of the American Medical Association's board of trustees and cardiology professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
The intake of large amounts of salt has negative effects upon our health, by causing high blood pressure, which can eventually lead to heart disease, stroke or severe kidney disorders. Even if your blood pressure is normal at the present moment, do not even dare to hope that this would last forever. Unless you are extremely careful and cautious with your lifestyle, the blood pressure could increase with age and also other disturbing health problems can occur. This is why medical experts always warn that it is much better to prevent than to treat. Therefore, try cutting on the salt today and you will have an intact health tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Even if salt was classified by the FDA as "generally recognized as safe," people should not eat more than ? teaspoon of salt daily. However, the results of the Institute of Medicine inform that Americans consume an average of 2 teaspoons of salt everyday. This is a huge difference, meaning that Americans exceed the limit with maybe more than 7 times.
"This is the equivalent of a jumbo jet with 400 people on it crashing every day," warns Dr. Stephen Havas, vice president of Public Health for the American Medical Association.
The conclusion? Americans should try cutting the amount of salt they eat daily in half - at least - if they want to lead a healthy life.