Verna Groger believes cooking more meals at home can reduce her salt intake. And that, according to a new study, can only be good for her health.
Results from the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study were presented last week and stated over-consumption of salt contributed to 2.3 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases worldwide. In the United States, there were 429 deaths for every million adults.
Groger, a registered dietician at the Gainesville Haven Hospice, said the abundance of processed food people eat causes them to take in more than 4,000 milligrams of sodium each day. The World Health Organization’s recommended daily sodium intake is 2,000 milligrams.
“People are so used to the processed foods that are high in sodium, sugar and fat that our taste buds are acculturated,” she said.
The American Heart Association advises moderate consumption of the “Salty Six”: common foods high in sodium, including sandwiches, soups, cold cuts and cured meats, bread and rolls, pizza and poultry.
Leonore Antoni, owner of Corner Latin Confusion restaurant, said many Hispanic dishes, as well as other exotic foods, use spices for flavor instead of salt.
“A lot of American foods rely on salt because they don’t use as many spices as we do,” Antoni said. “Without the salt, it would be very bland.”
