Six Salty Foods to Avoid

Six common foods that are major sources of salt in our diet have been revealed by the American Heart Association. The foods include bread, cured meats, Pizza, Sandwiches.

Surprisingly the "salty six" doesn't include snack foods like chips, the association said.

Avoid Foods With High Salt Content
Controlling salt intake helps to reduce heart disease.

"Excess sodium in our diets has less to do with what we're adding to our food and more to do with what's already in the food," CBS News quoted Dr. Linda Van Horn, a research nutritionist at Northwestern University who volunteers at the AHA, as saying in a statement.

"The average individual is getting more than double the amount of sodium that they need, but there are ways to improve their sodium intake under their control," she said.

US dietary guidelines advises people to take no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, while AHA urges an even lower amount, 1,500 milligrams.

Quiz on Salt in Our Food
Salt is the most important item in our food. Without salt, the food tastes bland and flavorless. It was so important historically that people used it as a currency. But too much salt consumption can lead to many health problems such as high blood pressure, insomnia, loss of the bone density and joint pains. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) has set a few guidelines for us regarding the amount of salt we should consume in a day. Take this quiz to know how much salt you should add in your food.

However, a recent survey from the association found that most Americans average about 3,400 milligrams each day, mostly from processed and restaurant foods.

That could potentially raise blood pressure, thus increasing risk for stroke and heart disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

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The "salty six" food are:

1. Bread and rolls - One piece of bread can have as much as 230 mg of sodium that adds up quickly if bread consumed at every meal.

Common Salt and How Much of It is Healthy
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2. Old cuts and cured meats - Cured meats have lot of sodium, and a serving of deli or pre-packaged turkey can have as much as 1,050 mg of sodium.

3. Pizza - One slice can have up to 760 mg of sodium.

4. Poultry - Frozen breaded chicken nuggets contain about 600 mg of salt, while even packaged raw chicken often contains added sodium.

5. Soup - A bowl of soup warms contains around 940 mg of sodium.

6. Sandwiches -Combining breads with cured meats and cheeses ups the sodium level in a sandwich, especially if salt-heavy condiments like mustard and ketchup are added.

Source-ANI