Salt Intake for Seniors: How Much Is Too Much?

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Salt Intake for Seniors How Much Is Too Much?
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Summary

• When it comes to talking about the health and
  nutrition industry, salt and sodium very often
  get a bad reputation.
• Although a tiny amount of this nutrient is
  essential for effective body functioning.
• Sodium is critical for nerve impulse conduction,
  muscle contraction and it helps maintain fluid
  balance in the body.
• However too much sodium can result in high blood
  pressure and cardiovascular disease.
• As kidney function decreases with age, seniors
  may face a more difficult time removing excess
  sodium from their body.
• It is important for them to be careful of dietary
  sodium intake.
• We have listed a few ways to figure out how much
  salt you should have in your diet

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Adequate Salt

• The Food and Nutrition Board suggests an adequate
  intake of 1,300 milligrams of sodium per day for
  people ages 51-70 and a smaller intake of 1,200
  milligrams per day after the age of 70.
• The Adequate Intake is the amount of sodium which
  should meet healthy seniors nutritional
  requirements.

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CDC Recommendations

• As per the CDC recommendations, all individuals
  above the age of 50 should consume no more than
  1,500 milligrams of sodium every day.
• If you have chronic kidney disease, high BP or
  diabetes then make sure to keep your sodium
  intake below this recommendation.

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Salt Substitute Dangers

• Potassium chloride tastes exactly the same as
  sodium chloride so it is very often used as a
  salt substitute.
• For reducing sodium, this might be an effective
  technique but can be dangerous for seniors.
• As the body ages the kidneys become less
  efficient at removing excess potassium from the
  body.
• If potassium levels become too high, it can
  result in potentially fatal complications and
  heart problems.
• Before adding a salt substitute to the diet,
  seniors should consult their physician.

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Tolerable Upper Intake Level

• Most people try to stay within the Tolerable
  Upper Intake Level (UL) set by the Food and
  Nutrition Information Board instead of focusing
  on the Adequate Intake (AI).
• The UL is the highest daily intake of sodium that
  should pose no major health risk to the seniors.
• It is the amount of sodium that seniors should
  easily be able to consume on daily basis.

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Reducing Intake

• One teaspoon of salt contains around 2,325
  milligrams of sodium.
• If you are following the CDC recommendation a
  senior should not have more than 2/3 teaspoon of
  salt every day.
• Many seniors depend on processed and canned foods
  as they find this more convenient but
  unfortunately these types of foods tend to be
  loaded with sodium.
• In order to reduce the daily sodium intake, try
  to limit your intake of deli meats, pasta and
  rice mixes, frozen meals and spice blends. Pick
  low sodium soups and use spices and herbs to
  season your food instead of using salt.

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THANK YOU

• Stonecrest of Troy
• hmcmurray_at_stonecrestseniorliving.com
• http//stonecrestoftroy.com/
• 3400 Livernois
• Troy, MI 48083
• [phone]