A Pinch Of Salt: The Lower Your Salt Intake, The Healthier You Age

So maybe you have high blood pressure, and your cardiologist has told you to reduce your salt intake. And while cooking at home, you limit your added salt and substitute other spices to flavor your food. But do you read the packaging on the prepared or processed foods you purchase? How about those restaurant meals- do you ask about the salt content in the steak you order or the fries you consume? It may help to know that upwards of 70% of salt consumed in the US comes from eating packaged or prepared foods, not from the meals you cook at home or the salt you may add at the dinner table. And while the CDC recommends you ingest no more than 2300 milligrams/day of salt (about 1 teaspoon), and the American Heart Association says ideally you should ingest even less (1500 milligrams/day or about ⅔ of a teaspoon), the average American is actually taking in almost 50% more than recommended, or about 3400 milligrams/day of sodium. This is at a time when heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke continue to be linked to the greatest causes of death in our country. While you need a certain amount of salt for your body to function properly and your blood to keep flowing, excess salt is contributing to disease, disability, and decline due to a range of causes among millions of people. And the evidence of the link between health problems and salt intake continues to grow.

For example, a new study out of Vanderbilt University looks at the connection between salt intake and heart failure and reports that even a small drop in salt intake could go a long way toward reducing the incidence of heart failure. Studying a group of predominantly Black and low-income adults in the South, the research found that those individuals who consume @4200 milligrams of sodium/day had a 15 % higher risk of heart failure, separate and apart from other health and socioeconomic factors. While that sounds like a very high level of sodium intake, for those without access to fresh food or whose food options are influenced by fast food venues, it’s easy to see how the sodium levels go up to dangerous levels. Heart failure contributes to over 400,000 deaths each year in the US, yet it’s estimated that even a modest reduction in this salt intake level (say to 4000 milligrams/day) could significantly reduce the risk of heart failure in a population at risk. For more on this research, put a hold on that fast food order and instead click here. And for a good review of some previous research linking high salt intake to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even premature death, read here.

High salt intake has also been linked in past research studies to an increased risk of dementia, though the data have not been consistent and clear. A new research study adds more information, but perhaps not more clarity, to this potential connection. According to a new study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, higher salt intake appears to affect episodic memory (which allows you to recall specific personal events or experiences), at least among older men. The study involved about 12,000 individuals followed for 72 months, who were assessed at baseline for their salt intake and cognition. Those men who ingested more sodium at the beginning of the study showed significantly more decline in their episodic memory than men who consumed less salt. While it’s unclear what caused the decline in episodic memory, it’s hypothesized that the high sodium levels may lead to brain inflammation, damage blood vessels, and reduce blood flow to the brain. It’s also unclear why women did not experience this memory decline. More research on this topic is needed, but it certainly adds to the mounting evidence of the potential ill effects of high sodium intake. For more on this study, grab your pepper shaker and look here.

Finally, you may also be interested in knowing that excess salt intake may accelerate skin aging. According to a recent article in The Independent, excess salt can cause skin to appear dry or puffy and even interfere with your skin’s collagen production. It can also increase the incidence of eczema flares on your skin by as much as 20%. So, how do you cut back on your salt intake, whether for your general health, your heart, your brain, or even your skin? Make sure to read nutrition labels on all products you buy- salt can be a sneaky ingredient, even in such foods as bread, salad dressing, or poultry. You may think a food is healthy, but salt may be added to help preserve or improve the taste. Rinse items that come from a can to shed some of the salt, and aim for frozen rather than canned veggies to cut back on your salt. And remember, even a couple of pizza slices or a burger and fries can send your sodium levels skyrocketing. While some potassium-rich foods can cut back on the harmful effects of salt, your best line of defense is to limit your intake preventively. For more tips, put on your reading glasses for some label reading and check out the advice here.