On Taste and Salt: The Product We All Eat Contains a Health Risk
A study conducted in 32 countries on about 2,000 types of bread found enormous amounts of salt, far exceeding the recommendations of health organizations.
- מוריה חן
- פורסם ח' אייר התשע"ח
(Photo: shutterstock) #VALUE!
Researchers from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Queen Mary University in London discovered that several breads contained more than 1,000 mg of sodium per a 100 g serving, equivalent to about two slices of bread. Furthermore, some contained as much salt as seawater (i.e., 2.5 g of salt for every 100 g). Adults are recommended to consume about 1,500 mg of sodium per day, with a maximum of 2,400 mg. This is equivalent to one teaspoon of salt per day. It is worth noting that adults in the Western world consume at least 1.5 times the recommended amount.
"We decided to analyze bread because it serves as a significant nutritional source in many countries around the world," explained one of the study's editors, a member of WASH - World Action on Salt & Health, who participated in the research. People tend to eat quite a bit of bread daily without realizing that it is one of the biggest contributors to sodium in our diet - because the taste of bread isn't salty."
Accordingly, it was revealed that a popular focaccia sold in Canadian bakeries contained 1,000 mg of sodium per 100 g. By comparison, 100 g of chips contains 119 mg of sodium, and 100 g of generic fried potato snack contains about 500 mg of sodium. The difference is that in these snacks you can taste the saltiness, whereas in bread less so, as the salt is added during production and helps create the texture, consistency, and extends the product's shelf life.
In addition to these findings, consider that spreads used for our sandwiches also contain salt, such as pastrami, tuna, and even cottage cheese.
What are the good news? The researchers found significant differences between different types of the same bread. In other words, the choice is yours. Simply read the label on food products and decide which type is suitable for you and which is not.
How can we get our palate used to minimal salt in our daily menu? Gradually reduce the quantities of salt while enriching the food with various spices.
