Don’t A–Salt The Kidneys

National Kidney Foundation Offers Top 10 Tips for Salt Reduction during March, National Kidney Month

(New York, NY) – When it comes to dietary sodium, less is certainly best, yet Americans today consume 50% more than the recommended daily quantities of sodium. According to the National Kidney Foundation, diets high in sodium increase blood pressure levels. High blood pressure damages the kidneys over time, and is a leading cause of kidney failure. March is National Kidney Month, March 10 is World Kidney Day and the National Kidney Foundation urges all Americans to learn about the link between high blood pressure and kidney disease.

“As high blood pressure rates have increased, kidney disease has spiraled to the point where it now affects 26 million Americans. Reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure and that may be beneficial in easing the burden of chronic kidney disease in this country,” says Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, Chief Medical Officer of the National Kidney Foundation.

The National Kidney Foundation offers the top ten tips to help reduce salt intake:

Stick to fresh meats, rather than packaged products like bacon, which are high in sodium.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are low in sodium, and canned and frozen fruits and veggies are typically low-salt as well. But watch out for frozen vegetables that contain added seasoning or sauces, which may contain lots of extra salt too. Choose “fresh frozen” instead.
Make reading food labels a habit. Sodium content is always listed on food labels.
Sodium content can vary from brand to brand, so compare and choose the lowest sodium product.
Avoid spices and seasonings that contain added sodium, for example garlic salt. Pick garlic powder instead.
Many restaurants list the sodium content of their products on their Web sites, so do your homework before dining out.
When dining out, you can also request that your food be prepared without any added salt.
Certain foods don’t taste particularly salty but are actually high in sodium, such as cottage cheese, another reason to check labels.
Try to spread your sodium intake out throughout the day; it’s easier on your kidneys than eating lots of salt all at once.
You can learn to adjust to eating less salt. It typically takes about six to eight weeks on a low-sodium diet to get used to it. After that, you’ll actually find it harder to eat very salty foods, like potato chips.

The National Kidney is offering a free screenings for those at risk around the country through its Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) on and around World Kidney Day. To find a screening near you or for more information on salt reduction, visit www.kidney.org.

The National Kidney Foundation thanks the following sponsors for their support: