Cutting Back on Sodium Is A Priority

The Harvard School of Public Health has teamed up with the Culinary Institute of America to combat the excess of sodium consumption in the American diet.

The new sodium initiative is a result of discussions at the two groups’ annual convention, “World of Healthy Flavors,” which brings together high volume food producers, chefs, top nutritionists, and culinary experts.

The most recent convention focused on high sodium intake among the American population.

Walter C. Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at HSPH, said that reduction of sodium is a critical public health priority.

Lowering sodium intake decreases the risk of health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack, Willett said, and trimming down the amount of sodium Americans consume could prevent 90,000 to 100,000 early deaths per year.

Scientists from the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and culinary experts from the Culinary Institute of America have devised a list of 25 strategies for reducing sodium levels in food without compromising taste, Willett said.

But many of the strategies suggested in the list revolve around cooking meals at home, whereas 75 percent of sodium is consumed in pre-prepared products or restaurants, he added.

Another difficulty is that people cannot cut sodium entirely out of their diets, since sodium is an essential nutrient.

“People are hard wired to seek out some sodium, but it is too easy to overconsume it,” he said.

The permanent approach to lowering sodium consumption is by altering the way manufacturers produce their food, Willett said, adding that regulations are needed to help combat the overconsumption of sodium because food companies that voluntarily choose to reduce the levels of sodium in their food can be put at a competitive disadvantage.

He said that this process has already begun, particularly in New York City, where the city has set up nutritional guidelines and requires that foods that they purchase meet those guidelines.

As the city is such a large purchaser of foodstuffs, their nutritional requirements hold sway over companies’ food production.

Until changes are made to the way food is produced, Willett said that providing the public with accurate information about how to eat healthily and reduce sodium intake—such as through easily interpreted labels—will help set Americans on a path toward healthier eating habits.