Toss the Salt and Spice Up Your Life

Adults who learned to flavor their food with spices and herbs, instead of salt, were able to reduce their sodium consumption more effectively than adults who simply tried cutting down on salt on their own, according to research recently presented at an American Heart Association meeting.

To determine effective approaches for reducing sodium intake, researchers conducted a small two-phase study. More than 60% of study participants had high blood pressure, 18% had diabetes and were overweight, and overall, the mean age was 61.
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During Phase 1, the researchers provided 55 participants with food, snacks, and calorie-counting drinks, feeding them a low-sodium diet for 4 weeks to acclimate them to the standard dietary sodium recommendations of 1500mg/day.

“Because only 3% of Americans eat the recommended amount, it would have been hard to find participants,” explains lead study author Cheryl A. M. Anderson, PhD, MPH, MS, an associate professor at the University of California in San Diego. “As such, we had to feed them in Phase 1 to get participants acclimatized to recommended intakes, then look at whether they could maintain it.”

Some of the approaches Anderson says they used in preparing those foods included:

• Creating a rub made from olive oil, coffee extract, cherry extract, smoked paprika, and smokehouse pepper.

• Spreading olive oil, flavored with garlic powder, on unsalted bread before making grilled cheese.

• Using a marinade of lime juice, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and honey. 

Phase 2 included 40 participants from Phase 1—half were randomized to reduce sodium intake to 1500mg/day on their own and the other half were in a behavioral intervention group encouraged to use their favorite spices and herbs to flavor food.

“The behavioral intervention group participated in cooking demonstrations where they presented new approaches to flavoring that they were using at home, and they got to try new spice/herb combinations during the demonstrations,” Anderson says.

“They were able to create a low-sodium diet, with their favorite flavors and a lot of variety, which helped them eat lower-sodium diets than the participants in the control group,” she says. “Hopefully, this approach will promote long-term adherence to sodium recommendations.”

After following the low-sodium diet for 4 weeks in Phase 1, average sodium intake decreased from 3,450mg/day to 1,656mg/day. In Phase 2, overall sodium intake increased from Phase 1; however, the behavioral intervention group consumed around 966mg/day of sodium less than the group that did not receive the intervention.

“When talking with patients who desire to lower their sodium intake, providers could point to this research and offer a possible strategy for reducing salt in foods while maintaining flavor,” Anderson says.

—Colleen Mullarkey

Reference

Anderson C, Cobb LK, Miller ER, Woodward M, Chang A, Mongraw-Chaffin M, Appel LJ. Effects of a behavioral intervention that emphasizes spices and herbs on adherence to recommended sodium intake. Poster session presented at: The American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2014 Scientific Sessions; 2014 Mar 18-21; San Francisco.