Sodium, Salt, and Your Health.

If you're like me, you probably haven't thought much about the sodium and salt in your food until you, or someone close to you, has a health problem that requires you to think about it. It is an important aspect of your health to consider, however.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today released "Sodium and Salt: A Guide for Consumers, Policymakers and the Media", a science policy paper that provides current and scientifically accurate information and resources on sodium and salt.

“The food industry takes seriously its commitment to develop products that provide choices for consumers interested in managing their intake of salt (sodium chloride) and sodium,” said Robert Brackett, chief science officer for GMA. “Companies are achieving lower sodium in products through extensive research, reformulation, new salt reduction technology and new product development. Thanks to these industry efforts, today there are more and more sodium- or salt-modified products available nationwide for consumers in the marketplace.”

This policy paper takes a closer look at the basics of sodium and salt, the effect too much or too little sodium can have on a person, and what the food industry can do to help. We don't want to cut sodium out of our diet altogether, as sodium is an essential nutrient. Some sodium and salt is needed as part of a healthy diet. The policy paper suggests that “the food industry can play a key role in offering consumers lower-salt food choices with conventional and modified levels of salt or sodium.”

I found this policy paper an interesting read, and in case you'd like to check it out yourself, you can visit http://www.gmaonline.org/publications/sciencepolicyseries.cfm to access it. Let me know your thoughts!