The Top 10 Salt-Rich Foods

According to Italian eating habits, the main sources of salt are bread (30%), cured meats (19%), and cheeses (13%). These typical and indispensable products are part of our daily diet. However, reducing sodium intake is essential to improve overall health and prevent chronic diseases.

Salt is found in small quantities in unprocessed products, but it’s widely used in food technologies as a preservative and to enhance flavor and organoleptic qualities. Many foods we don’t consider as salt sources contain more than we think. For example, cereals and their derivatives are one of the main sources of sodium in processed products. Bread and baked goods are particularly important because we consume them daily and in larger quantities compared to other high-salt foods like cured meats, cheeses, canned goods, and french fries.

Sodium Dosage, Properties, and Functions for Our Body

The World Health Organization (WHO) advises adults not to exceed 5 grams of salt per day, equivalent to about 2 grams of sodium. Reducing habitual salt consumption can lead to a significant decrease in the incidence of strokes and cardiovascular diseases. This reduction can be achieved by limiting added salt to foods and rediscovering the original flavors of foods.

Spices and aromatic herbs are excellent for making foods tastier without using too much salt. Even vinegar and lemon, while not spices, are flavor enhancers and can reduce the need for adding salt or fats without side effects.

Sodium is an essential nutrient for adults and children. It maintains adequate volume in the circulatory system, aids in nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and maintaining a gradient across the cell membrane, which is essential for nutrient exchange between the cells of our body. About 98% of dietary sodium is absorbed in the intestine, and excess is eliminated primarily by the kidneys, with some losses in sweat. With age or due to kidney diseases, the kidneys’ ability to eliminate excess sodium decreases, leading to water retention and increased stress on the cardiovascular system.

The Top 10 Foods with High Salt Content:

Many of the foods we consume daily contain significant amounts of salt, often much more than we imagine. It’s important to be aware of the sources of sodium in our diet to make informed decisions and improve our health. Below are the top 10 foods with high salt content and some tips on how to manage their consumption.

• Bread: Contains 2-3 grams of salt per 100 grams of product, about 15% of the daily recommended amount. There are differences between types of bread: Tuscan or unleavened bread has much lower values, while crackers and breadsticks amplify the problem.
• Pizza: One slice can contain up to 760 milligrams of sodium due to the dough and ingredients like mozzarella.
• Cured Meats: Here, salt is also used as a preservative, and there’s about 3.5 grams per 100 grams of product.
• Grilled Meat: During BBQ preparation, people tend to overdo it with sodium, even in the sauces that accompany the meat.
• Packaged Roasted Chicken: Can contain up to 600 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• French Fries: Notoriously salty and very popular.
• Ready-made Soups: Can contain up to 940 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Sandwiches: Combine already salted bread with cured meats and sauces, reaching up to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Cheeses: Foods rich in sodium, such as Parmesan (up to 1.6 grams per hectogram) and processed cheese slices (up to 3.11 grams per hectogram).
• Smoked Salmon: Like all smoked foods, it contains significant amounts of sodium.

Reduct Salt: An Innovative Solution for Sodium Reduction

Being aware of the salt content in the foods we consume is the first step to reducing our sodium intake. With Reduct Salt, you can maintain the taste of your favorite foods while significantly reducing the sodium content.

Reduct Salt was developed to meet the needs of healthier eating without compromising taste. This blend of food salts reduces sodium content by 30-35%, maintaining the organoleptic properties of foods intact.

Reduct Salt is a stabilized combination of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium chlorides, which replaces traditional salt in a 1:1 ratio. This means that recipes can remain unchanged, maintaining the same flavor and characteristics of the original product.