May I Have Some Food with My Salt: Throwing Salt in the Wound

msgfacts.com

I remember one of my first professors telling the class, “the world would be different if salt and sugar wasn’t ever discovered.” At the time, I didn’t take the statement too seriously but he was absolutely right. How would the world be? There would be less heart disease, kidney failure, diabetics, strokes (cerebral vascular accidents (CVAs)) and heart attacks (myocardial infarctions (MIs)) in our communities. On the other side, there wouldn’t be any sweet baked goods, ice cream, tasty foods, or our favorite salty treats. We always have to keep moderation in mind but our ancestors didn’t have the knowledge of the effects of what too much salt and sugar intake could do in the long run. Some families’ wounds run deep when it comes to salt and sugar. You can be the one to make a stand and be that educated source on what it could do to the body over time. I know our relatives and friends can be stubborn and set in there ways, especially some of the older ones. At least, you can offer that information and it’s up to them to make a decision to use it or not. In this article, I want to throw SALT on this generational cursed wound. Not to make the wound worst, but to do what salt medically does to a wound, heals it.

mayoclinic.org

Salt (sodium chloride (NaCl)) is a mineral that acts as an electrolyte. The body needs a balance of water and sodium. If there is an imbalance of either, the body works to balance itself out. For example, if one eats too much salt and the kidneys aren’t able to excrete it (produce urine to get rid of the salt), the body will hold on to existing bodily water to dilute the salt and hoards it, which is called water retention or edema. The water stores in the body’s tissues and cells which people usually notice as swelling their hands, ankles, and feet (Livestrong). Meaning, the more one consumes salt the more water one needs to dilute the salt in the body. For instance, when one consumes something salty, they become thirsty. In some cases, if you haven’t drunk enough water to dilute the excessive sodium, that person becomes dehydrated.

Excessive consumption of salt also increases blood pressure (hypertension). Blood pressure is the force that pushes our blood throughout our bodies. If blood pressure is increased, it causes the heart pumps inadequately which leads to organ failure. The kidneys are two organs that are prone to failure when blood pressure is increased. People that suffer from kidney failure will be put on the donors list, if they qualify, and/or on dialysis. Kidney failure, a.k.a. End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), incident rates are more than 3 times higher in African Americans than Caucasians (Kidney). There are currently 122,737 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S. Of these, 100,602 awaiting kidney transplants, half of them are African American or Hispanic. Dialysis is used as an artificial kidney, it does everything that healthy kidney does but it is not a cure (Kidney.org) . Depending on the person and their preference, dialysis can be done at home every day or at a unit 2-3 times a week. These people usually do not urinate due to their filtering via blood or peritoneal fluid. Dialysis units are everywhere and it’s because of the increased demand for them. They are in hospitals, nursing homes, and specialized clinics scattered throughout the community such as DaVita and Fresenius. Its funny how there are so many dialysis units and aren’t any Kidney Failure Prevention units, anywhere. That is another topic for another day but please dwell on that concept.

cdc.gov

How can we change this? Well, decreasing your salt intake like everything else I stress, takes time and dedication. Your palate (sense of taste) is use to salty foods so the best way to do it is to cut salt out gradually, some need to do it faster than others due to severe health issues. First thing, take the salt shaker off the table. You will use it if you see it. Secondly, check your food labels. It is recommended to only consume 1500 mg of salt a day which is about ¾ teaspoon a day and no more than 2300mg (one teaspoon) a day. So, if you are 51 years old or older, African American, have high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, you should not consume more than 1500mg of salt because of the increased risks for these groups. The average consumption of salt in the U.S. is about 3,436mg a day (CDC.gov/salt). A lot of the blame is fast, take out, canned, and processed foods (convenient foods).

We have to get back into the old day habits when people prepared their own meals and cooked at home. You know what you are putting in your foods. Food from outside do not come with nutrition facts or ingredients. One meal can be well over the daily recommended amount of sodium. Start or continue to become label savvy. Use spices and herbs without salt. A lot of seasonings have added salt. Try to only have one seasoning with salt and the others without. Or try seasonings without salt and sea salt as the only source of sodium to start to cut down. You will learn or continue to appreciate different herbs and seasonings without drowning it in salt. Some people need food with their salt instead of the opposite. Check out different ways to reduce salt intake. Remember to drink plenty of water. I began to bring a 75 oz jug of water with me to work so I know exactly how much and what I need to drank to keep up my hydration, especially in these hot months. Coming soon, How to lower your sugar intake… Until next time…