You must have heard at least once – from doctors, friends or just randomly about the importance of a low-sodium diet. Sodium is the main component in the salt we ingest daily, and it is an important mineral, healthy when consumed moderately but dangerous in excess.
Although the diet is prescribed to people with blood pressure problems, everyone can benefit from eating less salt.
Too much salt has an opposite effect to healthy even for people without heart disease. The higher the salt intake, the more exposed you become to developing heart problems, starting with increased blood pressure to more serious conditions such as heart failure.
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There are other risks too associated with consuming too much salt. Cognitive decline, kidney stones and bone thinning were found to occur in people with a high salt intake according to the World Action on Salt & Health.
Because you can’t always control how much salt gets in your food when, say, for example, you eat out the only other way to control your salt intake is to get to know foods.
There are foods naturally low in sodium, so a great choice for people who are recommended low sodium diets but as well for people who are simply looking to manage the amount of salt, subsequently sodium that the body receives on a daily basis.
Foods naturally low in sodium for a sodium-controlled diet
Meat products
Fresh or frozen beef: low in sodium, beef is a good source of a number of vitamins and minerals including niacin, vitamin B6 and B12, selenium, iron and zinc.
Lean beef is an excellent choice for controlling the amount of sodium you ingest as well as a good choice for healthy fat intake.
Chicken: one of the foods with the lowest amounts of sodium, chicken is often recommended in weight loss diets contributing to health as a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals essential for losing and maintaining optimal weight.
Fish: although not exactly considered meat, fish such as finfish and shellfish contain very low amounts of sodium, the latter slightly higher quantities but still recommended in a low-sodium diet.
Dairy products
Yogurt: depending on the kind and sometimes the brand too, the amount of sodium in yogurt can vary but nonetheless, yogurt provides a small amount of sodium and is in addition potassium-rich, which helps reduce the effects of salt on the body.
Cheeses: not all cheeses are low in sodium but some of the cheeses with the lowest amount include mozzarella, cream cheese, and cottage cheese, three staple kinds of cheese actually in most households.
Milk: milk is essential for development during the early stages of life and the benefits of drinking milk extend to bone health even later into life. Milk – naturally low in sodium, contains a good amount of protein, vitamin D, and calcium, three other relevant nutrients for good health.
Fruits & veggies
All fruits and vegetables are naturally low-sodium foods with the exception of canned vegetables, olives, pickled vegetables and package mixes.
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Canned fruit, however, is low in sodium, as are dried fruits and canned vegetables that are labeled low-sodium.