Salt & Salt Substitutes

Salt substitutes have been a dietary means used to help maintain healthy blood pressure in at risk individuals. As of late, the use of herbs has become more popular in general leading to better health management overall. Sodium can raise blood pressure and cause health issues. NaCl, or table salt, does contain sodium; however, studies indicate that over 70% of dietary sodium comes from prepackaged foods versus table salt added during cooking. Moreover, the increasingly trending use of sea salt has spurred some iodine (an added element to table salt) deficiencies that is notable given its need for proper thyroid function. Overall, a more careful approach to buying prepackaged foods may be the best line of defense for maintaining health. In more severe cases in which as individual has kidney disease, for instance, monitoring table salt may also be required. In these cases, salt substitutes can be used to enhance meals. Salt substitutes come in a variety of options from potassium chloride salts to herbs and spices, depending upon the individuals’ needs. From garlic to lemon zest, onion powder and nutrition yeast, the options are endless. 

references

1. NIH. Iodine. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Iodine%20is%20a%20trace%20element,)%20and%20triiodothyronine%20(T3).
2. Raquel C. Greer, Matti Marklund, Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Laura K. Cobb, Arlene T. Dalcin, Megan Henry, Lawrence J. Appel. Potassium-Enriched Salt Substitutes as a Means to Lower Blood Pressure. Originally published16 Dec 2019https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.13241Hypertension. 2020;75:266–274.