Get the Salt Out (15 page)

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“Unsalted,” “without-added-salt,” and “no-salt-added”
mean that no salt was added during processing of the product and indicate that the food is usually processed with salt. (In other words, these terms would not apply to sorbets, candies, or anything that doesn’t normally contain salt.)

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Also look for foods that are labeled “good sources” or “high sources” of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
These three minerals are known to counteract some of the effects of a high-sodium diet and can be protective against—
and even therapeutic for—both hypertension and heart disease. (To be labeled a “good source” of one of these nutrients, one food serving must supply
between 10 and 19 percent
of the Daily Value for that nutrient. If a food supplies
20 percent or more
of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient, it legally can be called a “high source” of that nutrient.)

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No matter how much food labels help you select low-salt foods,
understand that the best foods are the natural ones that have no labels to tout their many benefits. For example, a potato found in your supermarket produce section probably won’t have a label, but if it did, the label would claim “very-low-sodium” and “high in potassium” (not to mention “cholesterol-free” and “99% fat-free”). These all are accurate claims about the potato, but because fresh produce requires no labeling, many of us don’t know these facts.

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To avoid buying groceries that contain MSG (monosodium glutamate),
become a supersavvy food consumer by steering clear of MSG’s other aliases. According to Russell L. Blaylock in
Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills
(Health Press, 1994), ingredients that always contain MSG include: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, and hydrolyzed oat flour. Other additives that frequently contain MSG include: malt extract, malt flavoring, bouillon, broth, stock, and natural flavorings.

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Become familiar with groups of foods that are
very likely
to contain MSG.
According to
In Bad Taste: The MSG Syndrome
by George R. Schwartz, M.D., these include: potato chips and prepared snacks; canned soups and dry soup mixes; canned meats; boxed dinners; prepared meals; frozen dinner entrees; salad dressings; cured meats; lunch meats; and international
foods. According to Dr. Schwartz, MSG can be disguised under the following names, particularly in international foods: Ajinomoto; Zest; Vetsin; gourmet powder; Subu; Chinese seasoning; Glutavene; Glutacyl; RL-50; Mei-jing; and Wei-jing.

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If you’re severely allergic to MSG,
call or write the manufacturer directly to find out if a food product is free of MSG.

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Or find reputable products in health food stores
that are labeled “no MSG” or “no MSG added.”

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If your local grocery store doesn’t carry products that meet your needs,
speak up about it! If enough consumers tell supermarket managers how unhappy they are with the high-sodium foods currently being offered, I can promise you that a more healthful variety of foods will appear. In the meantime, it’s up to you to ask for the kinds of foods you want. Request—maybe even politely insist—that the store begin to carry or at least take a special order for some of the low-sodium and MSG-free foods mentioned in this book.

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Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry.
This is just as basic a rule for those who consume too much salt as it is for those who consume too much sugar. If your stomach is empty as you browse the aisles, your weak adrenals will beckon you to grab high-salt and high-sugar foods that give your adrenals a quick—but artificial and temporary—lift. To avoid the trap of bringing home more salty foods than you bargained for, eat sensibly before you go shopping so you can buy sensibly when you’re there.