WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Americans love to have something to blame for our diet woes.
For years, sugar — enemy to obese kids and adult diabetics alike — has filled that role. Then, the more trendy trans fats became the "bad guy."
Now salt is feeling the heat, and rightly so. Most Americans consume more than double the daily recommended level of sodium, a major component of salt, a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found. The body can safely handle just 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams per day, or about a teaspoon.
The problem is, many of the processed foods and restaurant meals we consume already have added salt. Throw in something like the "Southern lifestyle" — channeling Paula Deen here — and you've got a recipe for a health disaster.
The American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health and other similar groups say that high-salt diets contribute to high blood pressure and related illnesses, such as heart disease and stroke. Even osteoporosis, kidney disease and stomach cancer can all have a salt-enriched diet as a contributor.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, says Richard Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute, an Alexandria, Va.-based trade group representing the global salt industry with more than 257 million tons of production in 2007.
"Lower salt diets are not healthier diets," Hanneman said, citing studies that show a significant reduction in salt intake will lower blood pressure for one third to a half of the population. For one-fourth of the population, consuming less salt will raise blood pressure, he said.
"The easiest way to lower blood pressure is to donate a pint of blood," Hanneman said. He advises checking with your doctor before reducing salt intake and said there are unintended consequences of less salt, such as an increase in insulin resistance and higher risk of diabetes.
But for those who want to cut back, how do we pass on the salt?
A couple of New York City based nutritionists — and twin sisters — Tammy Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos provide plenty of solutions in their new book "The Secret To Skinny" ($15.95), released this month by Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based Health Communications Inc.
"Salt makes your fat cells fatter, and makes you have more fat cells," Shames said in a telephone interview from New York, where the sisters' nutrition company, The Nutrition Twins, is based.
Lakatos added: "In terms of weight loss, salt makes it harder. It messes up your metabolism and creates weight gain. It makes you hungrier and more thirsty."
Their 295-page book provides a four-week plan to drop a size and get healthier with simple low-sodium swaps or "salternatives." It also includes charts that show how much sodium various foods and beverages contain, as well as a bunch of low-salt or no-salt recipes.
The easiest approach they say, is to focus on eating foods with whole grains, fruit, vegetables and lean proteins. That automatically crowds out the foods that are not good for you — and unfortunately for some consumers, a lot of those that taste good.
"Read labels," Shames said. "It's so eye-opening."
There is hope, they say, especially since we're not born "loving salt." It's an acquired taste that is easy to change, they claim.
"The Secret To Skinny" is available online or in stores. To order directly form the publisher, contact (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com.
For more on what the salt industry has to say, go to www.salthealth.org
Susan Salisbury writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: susan(underscore)salisbury(at)pbpost.com.