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Unilever tested consumer preference for two soup mixes: one was said to be low-sodium; the other was supposedly regular. Consumers preferred the regular, "saltier" version even though both soups contained exactly the same amount of salt. In other words, if the reduction in salt isn't trumpeted as such, salt can probably be reduced by about 30 percent without eaters taking much notice.
The Assault on Salt
Seeded on Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:58 AM EDT
Article Source: good.is- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (7)
Another more recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said, “The cardiovascular benefits of reduced salt intake are on par with the benefits of population-wide reductions in tobacco use, obesity, and cholesterol levels.”
- 4 votes
#1 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:00 AM EDTI'm glad to see this come up. I need to warn people not to just cut all salt out of their diets because that's also a good way to get a heart attack.
- 2 votes
#2 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:08 AM EDTI am not a fan of lying to people, especially by companies to consumers, so I wouldn't like to see them having misleading nutritional info on food, for instance. Looking at the numbers in the article it is pretty scary how much salt goes into ready-made meals. This is for no reason other than they taste like nothing at all, and a flavour enhancer such as salt is required to make them palatable. MSG would probably have the same effect, as would making your own food.
- 4 votes
#3 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:55 AM EDTI liked the test they did with both soup samples having the same amount of salt, only different labels. lol
- 4 votes
#4 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:31 AM EDTOther scientists contend that we shouldn't aim for across-the-board cuts in salt consumption, but should instead target individuals who actually exhibit salt-related health problems, like high blood pressure.
I agree with this. Not everyone has high blood pressure and salt-related health problems. I've had very low blood pressure for most of my life (I would often faint if I got up too fast) and was told by my doctors to eat as much salt as I could handle. It took a few years, but I finally got my blood pressure up to a normal range, and it's nice to be able to stand up without falling back down. Not everyone needs to cut down on their salt intake. Some people need more of it, and government regulation will just make it harder for them. Besides, there are plenty of ways to reduce your salt intake without the government stepping in.
I'm curious about the soup study, though. They had the same amount of salt, but were they prepared the same way? Were other ingredients different? I've obviously never had a reason to eat low-sodium food, so maybe they do taste the same, but I'm always curious about other possible reasons that they tasted different.
- 1 vote
#5 - Sun Jul 18, 2010 6:45 AM EDTThe way it sounded to me, was that both soups were identical, just with different labels.
(I would often faint if I got up too fast)
I've had that happen to me for many years, and I don't have low blood pressure. (it's always around 120 over 80) In my case it is related to my heart murmer... (blood goes backward through the valve)
I get cravings for something salty a lot. So far it hasn't caused me any problems, but it would be really annoying if it ever did.
- 1 vote
I had to cut sodium out of my diet because of health reasons. Since I have been eating all my soups that are low sodium from healthy heart market I cant even tell the difference that they don't contain all that salt. I really don't even miss the salt because you actually taste flavor in food now.
- 1 vote
#6 - Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:17 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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