Do you know why so much processed food in America is so heavily salted? It’s because when products are taste-tested, the tasters, who are regular folks like you and me, prefer salty versions over low-sodium versions without fail. But it’s a catch-22. Our taste buds prefer the salty versions not because saltiness is such a thrilling flavor or because our bodies need that much salt (in fact, it hurts us)—but because we have simply grown too accustomed to salty flavors. Food companies love using lots of salt because it’s a cheap ingredient and gives food a longer shelf life. And they’ve trained us to swallow it.
This is one reason why I usually laugh at “health” studies sponsored by food companies—because they often are poorly designed as studies and really are about marketing, not health. But there is a new study that deserves your attention. It was paid for by the giant spice company McCormick. The results of this study are eye-opening, and they do show a legitimate and healthful way that lots of us can stop eating so much salt.
The study basically pitted spices against salt and asked the question, If people simply used more spices (which are in fact good for you), would they find it easier to cut back on salt—and by exactly how much?
PREPARING YOUR TASTE BUDS
The McCormick people know that Americans have been trained to think salty food is normal food, so the first thing they attempted to do was to get the 40 participants to overcome their learned taste for lots of salt. They were put on a salt-restricted diet for four weeks. In fact, they couldn’t eat or drink anything except what the research team gave them to ensure that they were eating less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, the maximum recommended by the American Heart Association for people over 50.
To give you an idea of just how dramatic the 1,500-mg limit per day must have seemed, consider that a single can of soup or one freezer-to-microwave prepared entrée can easily contain up to 1,200 mg of sodium.
To confirm what was happening in participants’ bodies, researchers tested their urine for sodium levels. An analysis of urine samples collected before starting this phase of the study and again at the end of it showed that the average amount of sodium excreted in urine was slashed in half…from 150 millimoles per day (mmol/d) to 72 mmol/d.
SPICING IT UP A BIT
In the next phase of the study, half of the participants were instructed to keep their salt intake low, as they had in the first part of the study, but to do it on their own. The remaining half participated in a behavior-intervention program based on cognitive behavioral science. They attended cooking demonstrations (using lots of spices, of course) and shared mind-broadening information with each other about spices used in their cultural and family recipes. They were encouraged to create and share adaptations of their traditional family recipes that replaced salt with spice. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? They also learned how to monitor their diets and to wisely choose and order foods when dining out and were encouraged to make a low-sodium diet an ongoing lifestyle choice.
After 20 weeks, the telltale level of sodium in urine for participants who had simply been asked to follow a low-sodium diet was nearly as high as it had been before they ever went on a low-sodium diet…around 150 mmol/d. These people just could not maintain a low-sodium diet out in the “real world” beyond the rigid confines of a highly controlled study.
In contrast, the level of sodium in the urine of the participants who learned how to swap salt for herbs and spices was about 27% lower, at around 110 mmol/d—not as low as the result from the rigid laboratory diet, but easily enough of an improvement for better health!
A TIP FROM THIS STUDY
Why not make a plan with friends and family to try this two-step program and see how it works for you? Go low-sodium for a month—just a mere month. It won’t be that hard—in fact, it will be fun if you can swing a group project with this. Be diligent about reading food labels on packaged foods and beverages. Find out just how much salt is in your food with this quick at-a-glance chart from the National Dairy Council.
As you go through your salt-restricted month (that is going to change your life for the better), keep a log of your daily sodium intake to get it consistently below 1,500 mg. Then, when the next month begins, so will the real fun. Plan get-togethers at least weekly with your allies in this going-low-sodium project to brainstorm and share new and delicious ways to prepare recipes with spices instead of salt. You might even find a Meetup group in your area that is doing just this—or start your own and become a dietary innovator in your own community!
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF SPICES
Seasoning food with spices and herbs has extended benefits. Many spices contain antioxidants and other healthful compounds. For example, cinnamon has been shown to aid in glucose control, which can help protect you against diabetes. Ginger may reduce nausea and inflammation. Allspice has antioxidant, antibacterial and pain-relieving qualities, and black pepper has been shown, in animal experiments, to block fat production. Capsaicin, which comes from red peppers, may, like cinnamon, help regulate blood sugar, and turmeric has been found to be as safe and effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as ibuprofen) for treatment of arthritis of the knee. So spice it up, people. Eat well and learn how to really enjoy being salt-free.