Someone must have hired a hit out on sodium, because it’s recently become public enemy number one in the eyes of doctors, nutritionists, the American Heart Association, and the media. Everywhere we turn, someone is telling us that we need to cut back on salt: it causes high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes in excess doses. However, sodium is a naturally occurring element in our food, and we can’t survive without it. So why does sodium have such a bad rap?
All-Natural Sea Salt
The answer isn’t that simple. Unfortunately, the average American diet is severely lacking in nutrients, rife with chemicals and preservatives, and overloaded with salt and sugar. In an environment where convenience trumps self-care and affordability correlates to healthy food being less accessible, it’s easy to see how people are making poor eating choices.
If you’re primarily eating out at restaurants and fast-food chains and shopping the center aisles of your grocery store for processed foods, chances are you’re part of the 25% of Americans that could benefit from reducing your sodium intake. If you’re making healthy food choices and you’re not at risk for heart disease or have high blood pressure, you probably don’t need to worry so much.
Proceed With Caution
Patients that are put on diets that severely restrict salt may end up doing their bodies more harm than good; a recent study from the Institute of Medicine showed that not getting enough salt in your diet is just as harmful as getting too much. Family members of those on low-salt diets that do not need to limit their intake may also be adversely affected by these diets as well.
Also, patients that are deprived of salt frequently resort to compensating for their cravings with excessive amounts of sugar and other junk food.
Lastly, here’s another point to consider: it’s not just the amount of salt you’re consuming that matters, it’s the kind of salt you’re eating. Sodium nitrite, found in most deli meats, has antibacterial properties that act as a preservative, but in the human body has been shown to damage cells and morph into molecules that cancer. At McLean, consumer health comes first; you’ll never see nitrites in our ingredients. All of our salted products contain pure sea salt only!
The bottom line is that it’s all about balance. Limit your junk food, choose nitrate-free deli products, and avoid eating out and binging on processed foods, and you probably won’t have to worry too much. If you are part of the population that needs to reduce your salt for medical reasons, we have healthy options you can enjoy as well; try our no salt turkey deli-roast!
No added salt, no nitrates, just as much flavor!
The good news is that we’re seeing the beginning of a paradigm shift in how people view nutrition. Consumers are becoming increasingly more conscious about the ingredients and quality of foods that go into their bodies. At McLean, we are proud to be front-runners in the clean food movement, and we value the wellbeing of our consumers the same way we value the health of our families.