Salt Reduction: What Happens When You Comsume to Much Sodium?

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Based on a ubiquitous biologic principle, there is a physiologic, healthy consumption range for all essential nutrients to maintain an optimum health status. Eaton and Konner (1985) had highlighted in their study that there is an optimum characteristic and composition of food that every organism, including human, is genetically registered to consume and metabolize. Likewise, sodium as one of the key fundamental nutrients is no exception to this rule (Karppanen and Mervaala, 2006). Therefore, if sodium consumption is less than the physiologic range for extended periods, adverse deficiency circumstances are likely to develop. On the contrary, if consumption of sodium surpasses the physiologic range for prolonged periods, detrimental consequences and even severe toxicity are likely to develop.

The vast dietary changes that occurred during the 20th century, tend to be incompatible with our metabolic system and often as a result, produce a series of diseases (Eaton et al., 1997). Apart from this continuous changes in diet with respect to that of our ancestors, one of the main inconsistencies that have been distinguished is the significant difference in sodium (Na) and potassium (K) consumption (Eaton et al., 1997). In this aspect, the current K intake is about 25% that was estimated during the Paleolithic Period, while Na intake is five times higher (Figure 1, Quilez and Salas-Salvado, 2012, p.667). This huge disparity in the Na/K ratio, which is currently between 0.13 to 2.51mmol, involves the constant metabolic work to remove the excess Na from the body that would otherwise result in hypertension (Lev-Ran and Porta, 2005).

There are various evidences suggest that the optimum dietary basis for good health is provided by a diet that...

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...cal processes in food production, could be used as a feasible preservation method for bread. The addition of sourdough fermented with the antifungal strain Lactobacillus plantarum FST 1.7 has the ability to inhibit the outgrowth of Fusarium s in wheat bread (Dal Bello et al., 2007) and this will directly increase bread shelf life and improve its quality.

In a nutshell, reduction of salt in bread encompasses several changes of quality characteristics, particularly its flavour, shelf life and texture. Technologically, the production of bread with reduced salt content is achievable, however, the sensory characteristics of bread have to be regulated to further meet the consumer’s expectations. Nevertheless, these changes in ingredients, composition and processing range in a dimension that needs to be managed in order to produce a cost effective and healthy product.

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