# Low salt **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347 "2010-09-20T00:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/21 "2010-09-21T16:28:31Z")
It’s incredible what an effect salt has on blood pressure. I question the contention that salt is necessary in prepared foods for preservation. The amount of sodium in some items is ridiculous and the fact that low sodium chicken broth exists (without any additives) proves it’s not always necessary. How do you explain the excessive amount of salt in frozen or dried prepared foods? There’s no “water activity” there! Nay, I think the high salt content more to do with manufacturer’s ideas of what people’s tastes are, or to mask the lack of real flavor. It’s sheer laziness or cheapness. If you’re watching your sodium intake you’re supposed to shoot for 200mg or less per serving. PS: don’t salt your hamburger before cooking, it makes the meat tough. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/22 "2010-09-21T17:21:08Z")
Forgot what I meant to say - people who completely cut table salt out of their diet might want to consider an iodine supplement. We get the majority of our iodine from iodized table salt, and once that’s gone, goiter city! ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/23 "2010-09-21T19:29:59Z")
I don’t want to be a contrarian, but I don’t use iodized salt in home cooking, avoid iodized salt packets when I’m out (hate the taste of iodine), and seem to get plenty of iodine in my diet just the same. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/24 "2010-09-21T20:15:46Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > if it’s a convenience food that’s low in sodium, it’s either high in something else that’s bad for you, or it’s tasteless, or worst of all, both. Not always true. Sometimes manufactured foods substitute potassium chloride for sodium chloride; not as salty tasting, but better for you (although it is remotely possible to consume too much potassium, it doesn’t result in chronic problems like high blood pressure). Something else to watch out for that has unexpected sodium - soft drinks! I just noticed this a few days ago. Some sodas use sodium benzoate as a preservative. The sodium is just as available to your body as if it were salt, and I’ve seen as much as 50 mg for a 12-oz can. Some sodas use a different benzoate as a preservative, and there is 0 sodium in the drink. So another set of labels to pay attention to. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/25 "2010-09-21T20:31:21Z")
You guys have been very helpful. I have recently substituted water for pop and it actually makes the food taste better. My son is a pop person and I am trying to ease him off of it also. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/26 "2010-09-21T20:42:28Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > You guys have been very helpful. I have recently substituted water for pop and it actually makes the food taste better. My son is a pop person and I am trying to ease him off of it also. If you haven’t already, consider investing in a water filtration pitcher, like Brita or Pur. The water tastes much better than tap water, imho, and it’s _way_ cheaper and more eco-friendly than bottled water. We got a compact-size pitcher that fits in the refrigerator door. I keep it filled all the time, and we have cold, good-tasting water whenever we want it. I noticed my 10YO drinking a lot more water after I got the pitcher! ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/27 "2010-09-21T21:25:54Z")
Unsalted butter tastes exactly the same as salted butter. (Why they make salted butter is beyond me.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/28 "2010-09-22T01:18:31Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Unsalted butter tastes exactly the same as salted butter. (Why they make salted butter is beyond me.) Salted butter won’t spoil as fast. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/29 "2010-09-22T02:08:59Z")
Unsalted green beans and other canned veggies - as mentioned upthread - should be readily available in a regular grocery store, such as Giant Eagle where the OP lives. Regular canned green beans have ~390mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving while the “no salt added” have ~10mg. Unfortunately they’re not always available at places like Marc’s (our local discount shopping store), Aldi or Sam’s Club ☹ When shopping for frozen veggies make sure you aren’t buying one of the new mixes like broccoli & cheese sauce or corn & butter sauce. That is pretty much veggies & a cup of salt. [Here’s some charts](http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/foods-high-in-vitamin.php?offset=0&nutid=307) on sodium in food. Altho…I’m not sure how they got 38,000mg of sodium in 100g of salt…? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/30 "2010-09-22T03:51:46Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m not sure how they got 38,000mg of sodium in 100g of salt…? A salt molecule consists of one atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine. The atomic weight of sodium is 22.98977, and that of chlorine is 35.453. Thus, salt is about 39.34% sodium by weight, so 100g of salt would contain about 39,340 milligrams of sodium. 38,000 mg is off by about 3.4%. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/31 "2010-09-22T20:41:09Z")
I guess I can forget about getting it down. I was in today and the dr. said it was 165/100. Now I am on an extra medication. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/32 "2010-09-22T21:13:44Z")
I wouldn’t forget about it - I’d still work on sodium and weight reduction. Hell, I AM still working on sodium and weight reduction! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/33 "2010-09-22T23:13:00Z")
At 5’10" and 128 lbs, i don’t need weight reduction! ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/34 "2010-09-23T00:45:57Z")
**BigBertha** , is he concerned at all because of a lack of family history (and the fact you’re a healthy, even under, weight?) ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/35 "2010-09-23T04:05:21Z")
She. Well, my parents both had high blood pressure when they were over 70 and both also had strokes (my mom because she didn’t take her medicine). She also wants me off my low dose bc pill, which I am not happy about, but can understand. I can only pray its not needed anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/36 "2010-09-23T09:09:36Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > > > I’m not sure how they got 38,000mg of sodium in 100g of salt…? > > A salt molecule consists of one atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine. The atomic weight of sodium is 22.98977, and that of chlorine is 35.453. Thus, salt is about 39.34% sodium by weight, so 100g of salt would contain about 39,340 milligrams of sodium. 38,000 mg is off by about 3.4%. Which would be accounted for by iodine and other trace elements. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/37 "2010-09-23T09:21:27Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > If you haven’t already, consider investing in a water filtration pitcher, like Brita or Pur. The water tastes much better than tap water, imho, and it’s _way_ cheaper and more eco-friendly than bottled water. We got a compact-size pitcher that fits in the refrigerator door. I keep it filled all the time, and we have cold, good-tasting water whenever we want it. I noticed my 10YO drinking a lot more water after I got the pitcher! Depending on what causes the bad taste (if any) of the local tap water, merely having it in pitchers before you drink it will improve it. If I was in the Balearic Islands, where tap water is treated sea water, that wouldn’t work (the impurities giving it the bad taste are not volatile). But in Seville, where the problem is too much chlorine (volatile), just having a pitcher of cold water in the fridge eliminates the bad taste. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/38 "2010-09-23T13:08:12Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > At 5’10" and 128 lbs, i don’t need weight reduction! Ah, gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347/39 "2010-09-24T03:50:19Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > > [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > > > Unsalted butter tastes exactly the same as salted butter. (Why they make salted butter is beyond me.) > > Salted butter won’t spoil as fast. Ah! Thanks for the tip. Around here butter never lasts long enough to spoil. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-salt/554347.md?page=1)