Originally published September 4 2005
Processed foods are loaded with salt, CSPI report says
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The study, conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, recommends to check the salt levels in foods served in restaurants and in processed foods.
Is there too much salt in processed foods and foods served in restaurants?
That's the topic of a new report from the Center for the Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
It charts sodium levels in 500 food items, showing a wide range in sodium levels.
Cutting back on salt is recommended for health reasons including controlling high blood pressure.
Nearly one in three Americans has high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association's web site.
The CSPI recommends that people carefully check sodium levels on nutrition labels.
It is not uncommon for some brands to have 50%, 100%, or even more sodium than a competing brand," states the report, noting no particular pattern among brands.
For instance, the report shows that the amount of sodium in 2 tablespoons of bottled Caesar salad dressings varied by 330 milligrams, and a half-cup of bottled spaghetti sauces varied in sodium content by 500 milligrams.
The 2005 dietary guidelines, to promote health and disease prevention, recommend the amount of salt be limited to about 1 teaspoon a day or 2,400 milligrams.
However certain groups -- those with high blood pressure, the elderly, and blacks -- should limit their intake even more, to 1,500 milligrams a day.
The CSPI report also recommends giving high-sodium foods an attention-grabbing label and creating a division of the FDA that focuses on sodium reduction.
"Restaurants and food processors need to lower the sodium content of their foods, for the sake of their customers' health," states the report.
"The fact that sodium levels vary so widely, indeed inexplicably widely, between brands in a given category shows that many companies could lower the sodium contents of their product without seriously sacrificing flavor," according to the report.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml