The Word on Weightloss

A pinch over fresh cut, home grown tomatoes, a dash over your favorite slice of pizza, a sprinkle over your scrambled eggs; is a little salt intake here and there really that bad? Can too much effect your weight loss plan? Maybe.

It’s important first to distinguish the difference between sodium and salt (sodium chloride). Though the terms are often used interchangeably, salt and sodium are not the same thing. Sodium, found naturally in most foods, accounts for approximately 40 percent of table salt. Therefore when salt is added to food, the sodium content increases by approximately 40 percent of the amount of salt added. Often we add salt during cooking and on our food directly to enhance flavors. Manufactures add it, often in great quantities, to flavor processed foods and help preserve them. 

According to the Mayo Clinic about 11 percent of the sodium in the average American diet comes from adding salt or other sodium-containing condiments to foods while cooking or before eating. Astonishingly, the majority of the sodium — 77 percent — comes from eating prepared or processed foods that contain the mineral. So even though you may limit the amount of salt you add to food, the food itself may already be high in sodium.

Salt alone does not cause your body to gain or lose fat because, interestingly enough, Salt has no calories. High consumption of salty foods or excess salt will result in temporary weight gain as it causes your body to retain water, but that does not equate to gaining fat. From those statements alone you might assume that salt then should have little concern for your weight loss plan. On the contrary, a high salt content diet can affect blood pressure, and result in weight gain.

Diets that are calorie dense, fiber poor, processed, and prepared quickly (fast food) have one thing in common – salt. The high salt content in these foods isn’t unusual, salt adds flavor and preserves processed foods.

Conversely, low consumption of salt can result in temporary weight loss as it causes your body to expel water. Don’t let the crash diet’s fool you. Many that boast quick weight loss rely on foods with little to no salt content! This means the weight loss is mostly water, and as soon as you eat foods containing salt again you regain the weight quickly.

The final word on Salt is this – less is better, yet some is essential for proper bodily functions. Salt helps to maintain the correct balance of fluids in the body. The American Heart Association recommends a healthy adult should intake less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, which equates to about 1 teaspoon of table salt. If you have high blood pressure or other conditions 1,500 milligrams is recommended.

You can easily reduce your sodium intake by eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish and unprocessed grains. Stay on top of your sodium intake by reading product labels as much as possible and opt for the low-sodium varieties.