Should the Food Industry Ban Added Salt and Sugar?

Reader Comments
Back to article

Thats some instructional blog post..

هاست لینوکس of AL 8:47AM November 12, 2011

Some illuminating piece of writing!!

jesse dziedzic of AL 3:47AM October 20, 2011

You couldn't be more correct

otthoni munka adatrogzites of AL 4:58PM October 11, 2011

I have chronic hypotension (low blood pressure) with co-morbid chronic dehydration. To help me retain water, and raise my blood pressure, I'm on a high salt diet. Those canned soups everyone wants reduced to have less sodium, or no sodium? I eat those (with half the water so they are double the sodium per spoonful) to keep from passing out some days when my medicine isn't enough. I eat a lot of olives and pickles too. I don't want things like that to go away. Sometimes I resort to microwave meals that I then salt on top of their current sodium, or get terribly unhealthy fast food, because I can't find a healthier option with that much sodium for that amount of food.
I'm all for there being "healthy" alternatives, but at the same time, I think it comes down to people being responsible. I track my salt intake. I read labels, make informed food purchases, etc, etc. I've been doing so since I was in High School. If I can do that, I think your average American should be able to do it too. After all, you can make low sodium soup and what not, but that's not going to stop people from buying a big, fatty bag of chips or a burger and fries; and I don't want my only option to be that same burger or bag of fatty chips!

Kit of MD 12:02PM May 04, 2011

If you ban salt and sugar what is next. People have to be responsible. Controlling what you do is not what America was founded on.
You can educate people on the hazards of foods, but you cannot control them.
Glenda

Glenda of TX 12:27PM November 09, 2010

I learned a long time ago in the '70's and on Dr Atkins Diet Revolution to read the nutrition levels on foods. I still have that habit and noted that "Low Fat" meant high sugar levels which are nothing but pure carbohydrates and bad for your system and health. Can't recall the name of the book that was published in England about the same time, but it laid out how sugar was a poison for the human system.
Cyclamates getting banned was directly the result of bogus "research" done by The Sugar Institute and bribes and payoffs to Congressmen by the sugar industry. What a shame. One strain of lab rat force fed cyclamates equal to a thousand (1000) bottles of a diet soda did develop the bladder cancer, BUT NO OTHER strain of lab rats developed the cancer under the same conditions.
Shame on the Sugar Industry, killing millions of Americans in the name of profit.

Colonialgirl of FL 12:58PM October 30, 2010

Though I have never been advised by doctors to reduce salt, fats, carbs, etc., I recall that recommendation to my father during his episodes with heart disease. So when I got my own place, I implemented my less invasive low-salt, low fat, carb/sugar conscious diet.
(1) Cook your own food. The less "pre-prepared" your food is, the more control you have over its ingredients. Your chicken soup will blow away what you pour from a can and reheat and you're not going to add the preservatives and unpronounceable chemicals when you make your own.
(2) Loose the salt shaker, stop salting foods on the plate before you eat it, try either something like MsDash, pepper or your choice of spice... my wife adds crushed red peppers to far more than just pizza.
(3) Turn the can/box around. So there's generally two or more national brand names plus often the store brand, turn the container around and read the ingredients, look for more ingredients that sound like food and not a chemical (if I find MSG, it never sees my cart). This can eliminate a few of those brands, then compare sodium and other factors in the "Nutrition Facts" chart, get the one with lower, sodium, sugars, fats and carbs avoiding trans fats and saturated fats when possible.
(4) It was the hardest thing I ever quit... not smoking, SOFT DRINKS. Sodas are loaded with sugar and/or carbs and even if you get the diet variety... sodium.
Even if you can't even consider changing some items, by just changing most brands and practices, you will be surprised the amount your diet will loose without you even noticing.

Ken Pont of TN 5:06AM October 25, 2010

i think you have too much time on your hands. you should contribute to society more. i like anal but secs

bob dyllan of MN 9:16AM September 21, 2010

i think you have too much time on your hands. you should contribute to society more.

bob dyllan of MN 9:11AM September 21, 2010

If your doctor puts you on a low salt diet, for one month go on as much of a NO sodium diet as possible. Do this strictly.
Then, after a month of this, have your blood pressure checked again.
It is possible that you, like me, are in the half of the population that is not salt responsive and that following a low salt diet will gain you nothing.
I went on that diet, not even having natural foods that contain the most salt, like celery and tomatoes for that month. Remember that some artificially sweetened items may contain more sodium, too.

Joan Dalton of AL 10:56AM August 22, 2010