Eat Healthy for Your Heart

Most people think about committing to healthy foods when they want to lose weight so they can fit into a certain size of jeans.

But there’s a more important reason to say “no thanks” to junk food loaded with salt.

A new study shows that Americans who eat a lot of sodium and little potassium have a 50 percent increased risk of death from any cause.

Even worse, they are twice as likely to die from a heart attack, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The sobering news prompted federal officials to urge Americans to figure out how much sodium they’re consuming and adhere to national guidelines.

“The study’s findings are particularly troubling because U.S. adults consume an average of 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, more than twice the current recommended limit for most Americans,” said Elena Kuklina, an investigator on the study in a news release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 2010 Dietary guidelines recommend keeping sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams per day for adults. However, about the half the U.S. population should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams. This applies to people over the age of 51, African Americans and anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

“This study provides further evidence to support current public health recommendations to reduce sodium levels in processed foods, given that nearly 80 percent of people’s sodium intake comes from packaged and restaurant foods. Increasing potassium intake may have additional health benefits.” The national recommendation for potassium is 4,700 milligrams daily.

So where do you find potassium? Try eating leafy greens such as spinach and collards. Grapes, blackberries, carrots, potatoes, oranges and grapefruit are also good sources of potassium, according to the CDC.

People can decrease their sodium by avoiding fast food and requesting foods at restaurants that contain little or no salt.
Not only will your heart be happier, but your jeans might fit, too.

Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.
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