kidney stones. This explains why 80 percent of kidney stones patients have been diagnosed with Hypercalciuria.
Studies have revealed that notable cuts in salt intake can dramatically reduce one’s propensity to kidney stones as well as slashing the amount of calcium excreted from the body via urine.
Is salt bad for kidneys?
Let us not vilify salt too much, shall we? Your body still needs salt. For optimal performance, your body requires a daily intake of 186mg of sodium.
How much salt should you take then?
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), if you are healthy (and an adult), you can consume as much as 1.5grams of sodium daily.
For the upper margin, the US Department of Health and Human Services – in agreement with the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and IOM – recommend that you shouldn’t consume more than 2.3g of sodium daily.
For context, this is a teaspoon of salt. Take note that it is hazardous for hypertensive people to take more than 7g of sodium daily.
So how do you slash your salt intake?
As always, when shopping for your groceries, be keen on the food labels. It suits you more to go with brands with relatively lower sodium content.
Bear in mind that most acclaimed specialty low-sodium foods produced with salt alternatives end up being loaded with potassium. This is as wasteful as robbing Peter to pay Paula because a high potassium intake is equally dangerous.
Now, if you fancy substituting salt in your meals, there are a handful of healthy spices and herbs to go with. Cinnamon, mint, rosemary, and basil count among this healthy bunch.
When you go out to get cooked meals, respectfully request for your fish and meat to be prepared without (or very minimal amounts of) salt. Lastly, frozen foods – just like processed and canned foods – are usually heaped with salt.