Written by Joe Suppes

The U.S. government spends a lot of time and money on researching health.  A lot of this goes on in the FDA, or in the ARS section of the USDA.  Besides that, there are always educational institutions and various other bodies constantly working on new projects to learn more about the human body and health.  A major subject of many of these projects lately has been salt intake.  Yeah, salt.
Declaring War on Salt
Salt is most commonly tied to high blood pressure, often referred to as hypertension.  Then again, if you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you already know this.  Well, actions are being taken, in and out of the government, to reduce salt’s place in the public.  There are multiple approaches to this subject.
Government Restrictions
There’s speculations that a restriction could be put on salt use in restaurants.  This would be a pretty tricky task for the government, considering how hard it would be to monitor every burger joint, fast food place, and fine dining establishment in the country.  However, there are ways to definitely give the food industry a good scare.  Adding salt cuts to the idea of sticking caloric counts on menus could become a major one-two punch in favor or healthier lifestyles.
Subtitutions
Another approach to the topic of salt is the idea of substitutes.  Sodium raises blood pressure, while potassium directly counteracts sodium.  The two must maintain a healthy balance with each other for your best cardio health.  The most common substitute for salt is potassium chloride.  It’s virtually impossible to tell apart from standard table-salt.  Moreover, it’s becoming popular on a more individual level.  Several people whose homes I’ve eaten at use it, and I really can’t tell much of a difference.  The one big risk with the potassium-swap is abuse.  Just like with sodium chloride, potassium-chloride should be used in moderation.  Just like sodium chloride will raise blood pressure, potassium chloride can lower it.
I’d eventually like to see a potassium chloride-sodium chloride blend on the market.  Just an idea, since an imbalance to either side could be bad.
In an Unsalted Nutshell
Overall, salt can pose a major problem.  Even with health consciousness on the rise, the occurrence of health problems is still very high.  A difference in salt usage can be a good step towards lowering the frequency of hypertension and other heart-related complications.  At this point in time, it’s in the government’s hands.  If they decide to make a major move to counteract high salt-intake, great!  If not, it’s up to us as individuals to be responsible about our eating habits.  Actually, even if the politicians change how salt is used in the food industry, we should all be a little more conscious of our health.  Even something so simple as that extra dash of salt each day can make a huge difference for your well-being.

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