Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Watch Out for These Sodium Shockers!

Even if you crave salty foods, you probably know it's a good idea to watch your sodium intake: Too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure. But if you think you're eating better by choosing foods labeled as "lightly salted," "reduced sodium" or "light in sodium," think again.

These labels all have to do with the food’s original sodium content, not the actual sodium content of the food. So, for example, "reduced sodium" foods have 25 percent less sodium than the original, and "light" or "lightly salted" have 50 percent less. But none of this means the food is actually low in sodium if it was really high to begin with!

As a healthier rule of thumb, choose products with less than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving to ensure you aren’t on the high end of your salt intake.

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