Among the substances either found in foods or added to them that can affect your health is salt (sodium chloride). Most of us were brought up to eat and desire too much salt in our diets. From an early age, you probably enjoyed many commercially prepared and packaged foods, which contain great amounts of salt. I am often amazed at how people will sometimes grab the saltshaker before they have even tasted their food. Junk foods, such as potato chips, crackers, and pretzels, as well as prepared and smoked meats, have enormous quantities of salt and other sodium-containing substances.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the major medical problems in Western countries. As you grow older, your blood pressure may increase. It appears that one of the factors determining the level of your blood pressure is the amount of salt that you consume. Even if you do not have high blood pressure, you should make a major effort to decrease the amount of salt in your diet. It will probably have a beneficial effect on your blood vessels as well as your heart. Learn to read labels on food products and avoid those products that show a high salt and sodium content. Develop the taste for other spices in your cooking. Stay away from junk foods, which not only have little food value and contain excessive amounts of salt, but are almost always fattening.
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