Following a low-sodium diet? You sure?

Washington, December 3: Despite being a stringent follower of a low-sodium diet, one does end up ingesting higher than the healthy limits, a new report reveals.

The latest investigation from Consumer Report has stated that sodium is found in abundance in foods that consumers do not check, believing them to be health friendly.

Contrary to the popular perception, the quantity of sodium may be higher in low-fat foods and lower in high-fat foods. In fact sodium may be present in products that don't even have a salty flavor, the report highlights.

Jamie Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports, said, "This time of year, when people are trying to watch their calories in between holiday parties, it's important to be vigilant about sodium. Our analysis found that lower-fat products might be higher in sodium. That's in part because when fat is taken out of full-fat foods, sodium is sometimes used to compensate for flavor."

37 common supermarket items were examined and it was found that sodium was present in most unexpected of foods. Some startling revelations were that one ounce of potato chips had half the quantity of sodium than half a cup serving of a low-fat cottage cheese which had 360 milligrams of sodium. McDonald's fries with 350 milligrams of sodium fared better than a grilled chicken from the same company which had 890 milligrams of sodium.

Jamie Hirsh added, "One of the big surprises is that foods that you would think would be really salty, like salted nuts, have less sodium than many processed or packaged foods that don't taste salty at all."

Health guidelines state that sodium intake for healthy adults should not be more than 2,300 milligrams a day. This is something like taking one teaspoon of table salt every day. Middle aged, older adults and patients of high blood pressure should restrict the intake of sodium to a level of 1,500 milligrams. The average intake of Americans however ranges between 2,900 and 4,300 milligrams of sodium a day.

Such a high sodium intake disrupts the body’s fluid balance. It enhances the threat of high blood pressure, which in turn enhances the probability of a heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Excessive sodium intake can lead to asthma, kidney stones and stomach cancerdefine.

Conversely, as salt is required to perform some of the vital body functions like regulating blood, body fluids and maintaining nerve signals, a salt deficiency can lead to muscular weakness, cramps and exhaustion, health experts caution.

The full report "Shake salt from your diet" is available in the January '09 issue of the Consumer Report magazine.