Shake the salt habit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shake the salt habit - Essay Example The sodium in the American diet does not significantly come from the saltshakers but in the abundance of processed food consumption. It should be noted sodium is usually used to enhance the flavor, stabilize, and preserve processed food. Accordingly, sodium intake can be reduced by opting fresh, whole food closest to their natural state. Another option is to look for canned food which are sodium-free or with reduced-sodium content. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Solving Hypertension) eating plan, which prescribes a diet comprised of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy food, and food with limited saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, is clinically proven to dramatically reduce blood pressure by infusing enough levels of potassium in the body to counter the effects of sodium. It has been verified by the Tulane University Health Science Center that adequate potassium intake may lower systolic blood pressure by 3 points and diastolic by 2 points. The level of sodium in the body as well as its effect is tied to an individual's physiological sensitivity to salt.