La Semana Mundial de Concientización sobre la Sal se enfoca en la relación entre el sodio y los accidentes cerebrovasculares

Leyendo una etiqueta de ingredientes alimenticios

Del 11 al 17 de marzo se conmemora la Semana de la Concientización sobre la Sal. Existen fuertes evidencias de que consumir mucho sodio aumenta la presión arterial y la hipertensión es el factor de riesgo modificable más importante relacionado con los accidentes cerebrovasculares.

Consumir mucho sodio aumenta el riesgo de accidentes cerebrovasculares.

Cerca de 9 de cada 10 estadounidenses de 2 años de edad o más consumen mucho sodio. La mayoría del sodio que consumimos proviene de alimentos empaquetados, procesados, adquiridos en tiendas y en restaurantes. Existen fuertes evidencias de que consumir mucho sodio aumenta la presión arterial y la hipertensión es el factor de riesgo modificable más importante relacionado con los accidentes cerebrovasculares. Una persona con presión arterial normal tiene la mitad de riesgo de sufrir un accidente cerebrovascular en el transcurso de su vida que alguien con alta presión arterial.

El accidente cerebrovascular es la cuarta causa principal de muerte en los Estados Unidos. Unas 800,000 personas al año sufren un accidente cerebrovascular y, a diferencia de lo que cree el común de la gente, la mayoría sobrevive, pero las consecuencias son graves en la mayoría de los casos. Por lo menos la mitad de las personas que sufrieron un accidente cerebrovascular quedan permanentemente discapacitadas con parálisis, dificultades para hablar, pérdida de memoria y problemas emocionales. Quienes sobreviven un accidente cerebrovascular también enfrentan enormes gastos médicos. En el 2010, el costo por accidentes cerebrovasculares a nivel nacional se calculó en 54 mil millones de dólares en servicios médicos y días de trabajo perdidos.

Consumir menos sodio puede ayudar a prevenir y a disminuir su riesgo de tener un accidente cerebrovascular. Las guías alimentarias actuales recomiendan consumir menos de 2,300 miligramos de sodio al día. Si usted es afroamericano, tiene 51 años o más de edad, tiene alta presión arterial, diabetes o enfermedad renal crónica, debe reducir el consumo de sodio todavía más a 1,500 miligramos por día.

De acuerdo con un informe reciente de Vital Signs de los CDC 44% del sodio que consumimos proviene de solo 10 tipos de alimentos.

Principales fuentes de sodio en la dieta:

Panes y panecillos
Carnes frías y curadas
Pizza
Aves
Sopas
Sándwiches
Queso
Platillos de pasta
Platillos de carne
Bocadillos (snacks)

Para reducir el sodio de su dieta:

Lea las etiquetas nutricionales al ir de compras para saber cuáles son las opciones de sus alimentos favoritos con menos sodio.
Consuma más frutas y vegetales, ya sea frescos, congelados (sin salsas), o enlatados (sin que se les haya agregado sal).
Limite el consumo de alimentos procesados ricos en sodio.
Si sale a comer pida que no le agreguen sal a su comida.

Reducir el consumo de sodio es una parte importante de la iniciativa de Million Hearts™ para prevenir un millón de ataques cardiacos y de accidentes cerebrovasculares en los próximos 5 años.

Más información

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World Salt Awareness Week | Features | CDC

World Salt Awareness Week

Most of the sodium we consume each day is “hidden” in packaged and restaurant foods – even foods that don’t taste particularly salty.

This year's World Salt Awareness Week (February 29–March 6) encourages us to look out for those hidden sources of salt, especially in packaged and restaurant foods. Salt, such as regular table salt, is made up of two elements, sodium and chloride. Too much salt in your diet can raise your blood pressure, which can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. About 90% of Americans eat too much sodium.1

What Is a Safe Amount of Sodium?

The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that individuals consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day. Yet, the average sodium intake for Americans age two and older is more than 3,400 mg per day.2

Why Are People Eating So Much Salt?

Even for individuals who monitor their health and diet, it can be difficult to reduce salt intake. Some foods can contribute a lot of dietary sodium even if they don't taste very salty, not because they are particularly high in sodium, but because they are eaten so frequently. In addition, sodium content in different brands of the same food can vary significantly. For example, the amount of sodium in a can of chicken noodle soup may vary by as much as 840 milligrams (mg) per serving.3

What You Can Do

Learn where sodium hides. More than 40% of the sodium we get each day comes from just 10 types of food:3

Bread and rolls
Cold cuts and cured meats
Pizza
Fresh and processed poultry
Soups
Sandwiches
Cheese
Pasta Dishes
Meat mixed dishes, such as meatloaf with tomato sauce
Snacks, such as chips, pretzels and popcorn

Eat smart when eating out. About a quarter of the sodium we get each day comes from restaurant foods, including fast food.

Many chain restaurants offer nutritional information on their website. You can also search more than 150,000 restaurant foods on MenuStat to compare the sodium content of different restaurant meals.
Scan the menu for items labeled “low sodium” or ask your server for more information about how much salt is added to your meal.
Ask that no salt be added to your food.
Ask for dressings and sauces on the side so you can control how much is added to your meal.

Be a sodium-savvy shopper. Most—about two thirds—of the sodium we eat comes from packaged or restaurant foods. Luckily, you have the power to purchase lower sodium foods. Follow these tips to make wise choices:

Check the label and choose foods lower in sodium. The food label will tell you how many milligrams of sodium are in a serving size. Learn more about how to understand and use the Nutrition Facts label.
Compare brands. Different brands of the same food (i.e., tomato sauce) can vary in sodium content. Compare and choose the lower sodium brand.
When available, buy low sodium, lower sodium, reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of products. Talk to your grocer about lower sodium products and ask that the store stock lower sodium foods.
Buy fresh, frozen (no sauce), or no-salt added canned vegetables.

Cook healthfully at home. Preparing your meals at home gives you control over the amount of salt you consume each day.

Season your meals with spices, herbs, or lemon juice instead of salt.
Eat more foods with potassium; research shows that foods low in sodium and high in potassium can help reduce blood pressure. Examples include bananas, dried apricots, spinach, low- or no-fat yogurt, beans other than green beans, and potatoes.
Don't know where to start? Search hundreds of heart-healthy recipes that are lower in sodium at the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Resource Center on the Million Hearts® website.

Small changes can have a big effect. Researchers estimate that reducing sodium intake by just 400 mg per day, could avert 28,000 deaths and save 7 billion health care dollars each year.4

What CDC Is Doing

Sodium reduction is a major part of the Million Hearts® campaign, a national initiative that aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services co-lead this effort.

CDC is also working to lower sodium intake at the community level through the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program. This effort aims to increase access to and accessibility of lower sodium food options, to reduce sodium intake, and to continue to build practice-based evidence around effective population-based strategies to reduce sodium consumption at the community level.

References

Jackson, SL, Coleman King, SM, Zhao, L, Cogswell, ME. (2016). Prevalence of Excess Sodium Intake in the United States–NHANES, 2009-2012.MMWR; 64(52); 1393-7.
Agricultural Research Service. Table 1. Nutrient Intakes from Food and Beverages[64 KB]. What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012.
Vital Signs: Where's the Sodium? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Accessed 2/17/16.
Bibbins-Domingo K, Chertow GM, Coxson PG, Moran A, Lightwood JM, Pletcher MJ, et al. Projected effect of dietary salt reductions on future cardiovascular disease . N Engl J Med 2010;362(7):590–9.