Salt is essential to the existence of our world. We need salt, our bodies need salt but too much of it can cause us harm. Americans consume more salt than what is recommended but a finding shows that 70% of Americans actually have a lower recommended daily consumption of salt.
Americans consume 1 ½ tsp of salt every day and the recommended daily consumption of salt is one teaspoon so that’s half a teaspoon more than what is recommended or 50% more than the maximum salt requirement.
Though this result is already alarming but there is more shocking news to this. 70% of Americans actually require less than 1 teaspoon of salt a day! This 70% are people who have high blood pressure, or are over 40 or are African-American adults.
They should be taking not more than 2/3 tsp of salt a day so that means they are actually consuming twice the maximum amount of salt that their bodies can handle.
A high level of salt causes heart disease and stroke and that is not to be questioned anymore because it is the fact. Decreasing the consumption of salt would actually diminish the serious health consequences.
Over the last 20 years, Americans consume more salt and they keep on adding more to their daily consumption of salt even more. This is because most Americans rely on processed foods and this is where most of the salt is coming from and not from home-cooked meals.
Unless the Americans would change their habits and start cooking foods instead of eating manufactured or processed foods, the risks for stroke and heart disease would keep on increasing.
Author: Mark Kirby
Mark Kirby is the proud owner of Healthier Matters. A vegetarian and health lifestyle supporter but also an avid nature lover and birdwatcher.
Mark is now retired but has spent his entire 40-year career in Healthcare.
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Even if I am not an American, I am used to eating a lot of salt this being a habit since my childhood. Where I come from people preserve vegetables and meat in the autumn with a lot of salt. For example the sauerkraut which we consume during the winter has as much salt in it as a salt mine. Despite the dangers for my health, I find food more tastier if I add a bit of salt to it.
Speaking of salt mines, have you ever visited one? I have been into a salt mine which was a unique experience. Huge grey galleries, playgrounds, a church sculpted in the salt, a shop and large alleys to walk on. All of these at hundred meters below the earth. It looked like a parallel, darker and underground world.
So I recommend to cut down your salt intake and enhance your touristic experiences by visiting a salt mine.