- Research found people who had cooking lessons had less salt in their diet
- Spices and herbs are a good way to cut down on excessive sodium intake
- Learning to use these seasonings is the first step to dietary change
By
Jenny Hope
19:03 EST, 19 March 2014
|
06:09 EST, 20 March 2014
 Cooking lessons to show people how to use spices and herbs help cut their salt intake, say researchers.
They found teaching people how to flavour food with spices and herbs was more effective at lowering salt intake than having them do it on their own.
In a new study, 55 volunteers ate a low-sodium diet for four weeks during which time researchers provided all foods and calorie-containing drinks. Salt is the main source of sodium in food.
People don’t often realise the effects that proper spices and seasoning can have on food, and so tend to stick with salt, increasing their sodium levels
In the second phase, half of the volunteers participated in a 20-week behavioural intervention aimed at reducing their sodium intake to 1,500 mg (1.5gms)a day by using spices and herbs.
The other half reduced sodium on their own.
More than 60 per cent of the participants in the study had high blood pressure, almost a fifth had diabetes and they were overweight.
The researchers found in the first phase, sodium intake decreased from an average 3,450 mg a day to an average 1,656 mg a day.
The tendency to over-salt food is one born out of improper cooking techniques handed down from generation to generation
In the second phase, sodium intake increased in both groups.
But those who received the behavioural intervention consumed an average 966 mg a day of sodium less than the group that didn’t receive the intervention.
Cheryl Anderson, lead author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California San Diego, said helping people cook differently gave them control over their diet.
She said ‘People in the intervention group learned problem-solving strategies, use of herbs and spices in recipes, how culture influences spice choices, how to monitor diet, overcoming the barriers to making dietary changes, how to choose and order foods when eating out and how to make low-sodium intake permanent.’
New research has found that people who were given advice on how to properly spice and season food would decrease their salt intake by almost half as much a day
Those assigned to the behavioural intervention group had cooking demonstrations and had a chance to share how they were changing traditional recipes to remove salt and include spices.
The researchers didn’t emphasise specific spices, and encouraged participants to try different things to find out what they liked most.
Prof Anderson said average salt intake in the US – and other western countries – was much higher than what is recommended for healthy living, partly due to its presence in many different manufactured food products.
She said ‘We studied the use of a behavioural intervention where people learn how to use spices and herbs and less salt in their daily lives.
Blood Pressure UK has often advised people not to add salt when cooking their food, including things like soy sauce and stock cubes as they have a very high salt content
‘Given the challenges of lowering salt in the American diet, we need a public health approach aimed at making it possible for consumers to adhere to an eating pattern with less salt.
‘This intervention using education and tasty alternatives to sodium could be one solution.’
The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity Metabolism Scientific Sessions 2014 in San Francisco.
Excess salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure, leading to heart disease and stroke.
Although UK intake has fallen in recent years, it remains above the target level of 6g a day.
At present, average consumption is 8.6g per person per day which is too high, according to campaigners.
Extra flavour in food can be provided by spices, lemon, lime, chilli or ginger, as well as appropriate herbs, which can lead to drastic cuts in salt intake
A spokesman for Blood Pressure UK which has campaigned for salt reduction said it advised people not to add salt when cooking, and this includes things like soy sauce, curry powders and stock cubes.
He said extra flavour could be provided with herbs and spices, and from seasonings like chilli, ginger, lemon or lime juice.
At first, food without salt can taste bland, but don’t give up as it takes a few weeks for the taste buds to adjust.
He said ‘If you really can’t do without a salty favour, you could try using a small amount of low-sodium salt substitute.
‘If you have kidney problems or diabetes, check with your doctor or nurse first.’
The Department of Health estimates that reducing salt intakes by every one gramme (about a pinch of salt) will save at least 4,147 preventable deaths and £288 million to the NHS every year.
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Marble11,
Cardiff,
1 hour ago
I don’t add salt as I am not keen on the taste, I use spices in almost everything I cook, I followed slimming world for a while and this was recommended to counter the blandness of certain healthy foods
Sycamore,
Papamoa, New Zealand,
2 hours ago
I have a food intolerance and cannot eat herbs and spices so salt is my mail seasoning and no way will I reduce my use of it as the joy of many other flavourings is denied to me.
Indignant,
Sheffield, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
Salt’s a seasoning and spices are a flavouring. They do different jobs, you can’t replace one with the other. Food needs to be correctly seasoned (not salty) to make it palatable. You will find that if you prepare your own food and season correctly, you will have a sensible amount of salt in your diet. Pre prepared foods, or ‘things out of packets and jars’ are the real culprits, generally being ladened with salt just to provide some sort of acceptable flavour. (The general rule is that the more a food is processed, the more salt it takes to make it palatable).
scouseviking,
Arslev,
2 hours ago
Those photos look like the ingredients for a really nice curry.
Dennis,
Portland OR, United States,
6 hours ago
What a beautiful selection of spice in that photo.
trogon,
Pattaya Thailand,
7 hours ago
Some spices are toxins , why do you think the plant produces the substance , to stop you eating it in the first place , just beware what you eat , after all you are what you eat .
annie25-manchester,
manchester uk,
7 hours ago
I never have salt in my diet for 30 yrs biggest killer ever!
Robbie,
London, United Kingdom,
8 hours ago
The problem with salt would be the sodium contained within it. Table salt has lots of sodium and this would be the reason for the guidelines of intake we have. Himalayan Crystal Salt is the best salt you can get and the guideline is not the same with this salt. So if you like a nice bit of salt to season food or bake with, this is the one for you. It also has 80 minerals in it … table salt has massively less as its refined !
pygar,
Derbyshire, United Kingdom,
9 hours ago
I add a couple of mixed chillies from a jar to a salad wrap…..makes it intresting and have never added salt in the last 15 years since my older brother had a heart attack brought on by to much salt…..the smart ones will learn.
Donald Swank,
The Isle Of Oh,
9 hours ago
Honestly, a teaspoon of Tumurick in warm water every morning does WONDERS for blocked noses / tiredness general well being etc, read into it!!!!!! Hope this helps at least one person
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