You do not need to limit your salt intake with Boulder Salt. Salt from Boulder Salt is different chemically. That means you can regularly enjoy it and not see the adverse reactions that you’d get from other salts.
Let’s break this down with a little more scientific evidence:
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Americans eat too much sodium. But how much salt is too much, and how can we stay on the good side of our salt intake when so many of our foods are loaded with preservatives that dial up the sodium and salt content?
It’s not merely a philosophical question. Many people have the symptoms of too much salt, if they aren’t already bordering on some kind of salt overdose. That’s because while the body needs sodium and salt to function properly, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. And most of it comes from pre-packaged foods that give us more than 70 percent of our daily salt intake, not the table salt that is typically used to flavor foods at home.
But it’s more than low sodium that is important: getting enough potassium in your diet is equally essential, if not more so. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Increasing potassium intake can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by lowering blood pressure. Consuming too little potassium and too much sodium can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Lowering blood pressure reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.”
Your Choices Matter
It starts with looking at the labels of foods that you eat. The recommended daily value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day per person. As for potassium, the daily recommended amount is 4,700 mg per person. It sounds easy, but it’s actually far easier to get too much salt than too little, especially if you’re not paying attention to your diet.
It also depends on the types of foods that you eat. Things like deli meat sandwiches, pizza, burritos and tacos, soups, savory snacks such as chips, chicken, pasta, burgers, eggs and omelets all supply about 40 percent of the sodium consumed by Americans. And if you’re doing a double-take because that looks a lot like your diet and the diet of others, you’re right — it’s essentially the modern American diet that’s at fault.
That said, the sodium content of many foods can vary wildly, and if you opt for low-salt or low-sodium foods, or you prepare more of your meals at home instead of relying on pre-packaged foods, you can reduce your sodium and salt intake.
And when it comes to increasing potassium, it’s a matter of not eating enough of the good stuff, not eating too much of the bad. Potassium-rich foods include potatoes, leafy greens, beans and legumes, and many types of fish. Juice from potassium-rich fruits is also great, including orange, tomato, or grapefruit.
The Risks of High Blood Pressure
Because sodium attracts water, a high-sodium diet will draw more water into the bloodstream, raising the volume of blood and eventually your blood pressure. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure can force the heart to work harder, which can eventually harm your arteries and organs such as the heart, kidneys, eyes and brain. If left long enough, excess salt or sodium can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease. In fact, high blood pressure can even cause blindness in some instances, and the risks of complications only increase with age.
How Do You Counteract Too Much Salt?
If you’re worried about the high levels of salt in your diet and your body, it may make sense to revisit your sodium consumption. Try to eat foods with known lower sodium values, as well as avoiding foods that are known to be high in sodium. Making most of your meals at home is a good idea as pre-packaged foods often contain high levels of sodium to increase shelf life.
But this must be a balanced effort: you must get plenty of potassium while limiting your salt intake. This may require some significant steps on your part to change your eating habits, but if it’s the difference between a long and healthy life or a bunch of unhealthy food, the answer seems pretty clear.
Let’s get back to the statement that we made at the very beginning: with Boulder Salt, because of its unique chemical makeup, you do not need to reduce your salt intake to stay healthy.
It’s much easier to enjoy a healthy amount of sodium when you using Boulder Salt. You can healthfully enjoy greater quantities of our salt versus any other salt. In fact, it’s an excellent nutritional salt to enjoy rather than a “guilty pleasure” to be rationed. It offers both lower sodium and higher potassium, making it the best of both worlds.
Get started by reading about healthy salt, or shop our nutritional salts here.
