Salt alternatives: A new study found that substituting salt with glutamates can reduce sodium intake by up to 7-8%. Read here to know why it is important to reduce your salt intake and how you can do it.
Salt alternatives: Oregano, garlic powder, chives, etc make for healthy and tasty salt alternatives
HIGHLIGHTS
- Salt alternatives: Eating less salt can offer multiple health benefits
- It can reduce blood pressure and water retention
- It can improve your diet and quality
Use of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other glutamates as a salt substitute can reduce sodium in food supply, according to a recently-conducted study in journal Nutrients. The study found that substituting salt with glutamates can reduce sodium intake by up to 7-8%. High sodium intake has been criticised to cause health issues like high blood pressure, water retention, kidney disease and much more. Reduction of sodium, however, poses technical challenges since it plays a role in palatability and safety of food. Salt in food supply helps in preventing bacterial growth and spoilage of food. It also increases shelf life of food, keeping it fresh for longer.
But, when salt content is reduced, both consumer acceptance and palatability of the food decreases. Glutamate, which is a non-essential amino acid, is used to enhance taste and palatability of the food. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the most important glutamate salt and flavour enhancer, which can reduce overall sodium level in foods while maintaining their palatability.
Sodium in MSG is about 12%, which is one-third of sodium content in table salt-which has 39% sodium.
Results of the study show that if glutamate were used as a salt substitute in products like meats, frozen foods and soup, every one in the US, who is old than one 1 year of age will benefit from reduction in sodium.
Cutting salt intake can be beneficial for high blood pressure patients
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: Table Salt Or Sea Salt? What Is The Difference And Which Is Healthier?
Healthy salt alternatives you must know
The idea is to understand that high salt intake is harmful for you, in more ways than you can imagine. People with high blood pressure are specifically required to include less salt in their diet. You can replace salt by adding a variety of other herbs and spices as salt alternatives to add flavour and taste to your food.
Here are a few healthy salt alternatives that you can switch to:
- Basil
- Coriander
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Turmeric
- Cumin
- Dry mango powder
- Chives
- Cinnamon
- Garlic powder
- Chilli flakes
- Dill leaves
- Nutmeg
- Asafoetida
- Carom seeds
Also read: Sleep Well To Cut Appetite For Sweet, Salty Food
The list goes on. There are a variety of healthy salt alternatives, that are delicious to taste, easily available and also pocket-friendly. According to the American Heart Association, you should have nothing more than 2300 mg of sodium in a day, and should try to limit it to 1500 mg per day-which is upto 1 tsp of salt.
The best way to reduce your salt intake is by switching to home-cooked food most of the times, and using healthy salt alternatives. It will automatically lower your overall salt intake.
Eat home-cooked food most of the times to reduce your salt intake
Photo Credit: iStock
Health benefits of eating less salt
Eating less salt can offer multiple health benefits. However, this is given the fact that you don't entirely go off salt. Here are some benefits of reducing your salt intake:
- It can help in reducing blood pressure: Studies have shown that reducing your sodium intake can lead to small yet significant reduction in your blood pressure.
- Reduces risk of cancer: High-salt diet has been linked to certain kinds of cancer and it is thus important to limit your salt intake.
- Can improve your diet: For reducing salt intake, you need to avoid processed, packaged and junk food. This reduces your consumption of harmful adulterants and food preservatives, thus improving your diet quality.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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