Salt's assault on heart health

By Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. on Apr 30, 2024

Americans ate at least 106 billion pounds of salt in 2023. And it's estimated that more than 70% of it comes from packaged foods and restaurant meals. The biggest culprits are deli meats, pizza, tacos and burritos, and snacks like chips and crackers. Food additives used in prepared and packaged food, such as MSG, baking soda, sodium nitrite, and sodium benzoate, also contain sodium.

That's an assault on your health. A new study in JAMA Network Open reports that when researchers looked at more than 65,000 adults, they found that excess sodium accounts for 10% to 30% of deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Before you're brined into oblivion, we suggest that you take a look at your salt intake (read those ingredient labels) and dial it back to less than the recommended 1 teaspoon (2,300 milligrams) a day. You'll significantly reduce your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and death from stroke or heart attack.

How can you accomplish that? Cook fresh, unprocessed foods at home. Use salt-free substitutes like Mrs. DASH seasoning, and lots of flavorful herbs and spices to perk up your meals. Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as beans, tuna, and vegetables to remove some of the sodium. At restaurants, ask for no-salt preparation and sauces and salad dressings on the side or opt for olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon for added flavors. And check out salt-free flavorings as well as recipes using everything from chili peppers to balsamic vinegar and basil in Dr. Mike's "What to Cook When Cookbook."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.