Can adding spices and herbs to food reduce salt intake?

Research presented at an American Heart Association meeting shows that a behavioral intervention in adults encouraging use of herbs and spices - instead of salt - on food results in a decrease in sodium consumption, compared with adults who tried reducing sodium on their own.

Reducing salt intake is particularly important for individuals with high blood pressure; a high-sodium diet is linked with this condition, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), sodium increases blood pressure in some people by holding excess fluid in the body, thereby placing an extra burden on the heart. In our diet, salt is the main source of sodium, so limiting it can help to reduce cardiovascular risks.

"Salt is abundant in the food supply and the average sodium level for Americans is very high - much higher than what is recommended for health living," says Cheryl A. M. Anderson, lead study author and associate professor at the University of California San Diego.

To investigate effective ways of encouraging individuals to reduce sodium intake, researchers conducted a study with two phases:

• Phase 1: 55 participants ate a low-sodium diet for 4 weeks. During this time, the researchers provided all food and drink for the volunteers.


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• Phase 2: half of the study participants enrolled in a 20-week behavioral intervention, which attempted to reduce sodium intake to 1,500 mg/day by substituting salt with spices and herbs. The other half were on their own to attempt a sodium reduction.

The team notes that over 60% of the study participants had high blood pressure, while 18% had diabetes and were overweight.

Spices and herbs group consumed much less sodium

The intervention group received cooking demonstrations and shared how they were changing typical recipes to remove salt and add spices. Though the researchers did not indicate specific spices the participants should use, they encouraged them to try different things in order to see what they liked best.