Pass The Bread And Hold The Salt

Posting Date: 05/03/1999

Here?s a novel idea ? reduce the intake of dietary salt in such common foods as bread in order to lower the overall blood pressure of the general population.

Researchers at the University of Sydney say this is feasible if the food still tastes as good with a lower salt content, so a group of them did a bread-eating test.

You may not think of bread as being salty, but the researchers say processed foods account for three-quarters of dietary salt intake and that bread is the single largest source.

Sixty people participated in rating the taste of bread with standard salt content, 10 percent reduced salt and 20 percent reduced salt. The resulting taste scores showed virtually no differences ? the bread tasted good regardless of how much salt was in it.

The Australian researchers say if the same type of taste test holds true for other foods, manufacturers could lower salt content in many processed foods without losing sales.

This is a great idea that would result in numerous health benefits because it might lower blood pressure in the general population.

Source: The Lancet, April 17,1999

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