FDA on verge of approving artificial salt as part of Biden’s push to lower diet-related diseases

You’ve heard of artificial sweeteners, but a new proposal could put artificial salt in the spotlight.

The Food and Drug Administration has revealed that it will be reviewing several sodium substitutes in the coming months, paving the way for companies and restaurants to use them in their recipes.

It comes amid a crackdown on unhealthy diets by the Biden administration, which wants manufacturers to reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in their products.

Like artificial sweeteners, artificial salts are any compound that mimics the taste of salt without actually adding sodium, or at least adding significantly less. But some of the most popular forms have uses beyond making food taste better.

One of these, potassium chloride, is used in lethal injections – in much higher concentrations than would be used in food. But experts told DailyMail.com they were concerned that too little research has been done on the long-term health effects of artificial salt.

But the risks of too much salt have already been established, with research showing it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

In March, the World Health Organization issued a call to action to reduce the average global daily salt content by just one teaspoon.

Taking steps to meet this benchmark ‘could save an estimated 7 million lives worldwide by 2030’ WHO Global Report on Reducing Sodium Intake said.

The CDC estimates that more than 90 percent of Americans consume too much salt — an average of 3,400 milligrams.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day — that’s equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of table salt.

One of the biggest offenders is fast food – an American staple. About 70 percent of sodium consumed comes from processed products.

An order of pancakes and sausage from McDonald’s alone has just over 2,000 milligrams, by comparison. The FDA believes that salt substitutes can lower the amount of sodium in food.

The agency has not yet announced how restaurants would need to adjust their recipes to accommodate the change.

“Reducing sodium in processed, packaged and prepared foods is a critical step in helping improve consumer diets,” the authors wrote in the FDA’s prepublication design.

Each year, nearly 500,000 U.S. deaths are attributed to high blood pressure, which has long been linked to overconsumption of salt.

“The extent to which salt can be substituted depends on the ability of a salt substitute to replace the functions of salt in food without compromising food safety and the properties of the food,” the statement said. FDA mention.

Since October 2021, the FDA has been encouraging restaurants and food manufacturers to voluntarily reduce sodium levels Voluntary Targets for Sodium Reduction. However, it is unclear whether that plan worked.

The finalized plan aims to reduce sodium in more than 160 restaurant food categories. The proposed FDA ruling to implement salt substitutes could be a step toward achieving those goals.

A 2022 study in adults, children and pregnant women found that replacing salt with low-sodium substitutes reduced sodium intake by as much as 77 percent.

The AHA has also estimated that reducing salt intake from 3,400 milligrams to the recommended daily allowance could lower blood pressure by 1-2 percent.

The FDA has not specified which salt substitutes would be allowed if the proposed changes go into effect.

The pre-publication draft lists several examples of artificial salt, such as potassium chloride, monosodium glutamate, yeast extracts, amino acids, and dairy extracts.

“Many salt substitutes currently on the market are made with potassium chloride,” says Veronica Rouse, owner of The cardiac dietitiantold DailyMail.com.

“It improves the flavor of food, which salt does, but it wouldn’t increase your sodium intake.”

Potassium “does the exact opposite of sodium entering our body,” Rouse said.

Its main role is to maintain normal fluid levels in the body’s cells, transmit nerve signals, and regulate muscle contractions.

While salt can raise blood pressure, potassium works to lower it. Lowering blood pressure can lower your risk of heart-related events, such as heart attack and stroke.

“We want people to eat more potassium,” Rouse said.

Increasing potassium also adheres to the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

“It’s a diet that recommends increasing your potassium intake, but through food, not supplements,” she said.

‘So the question would be: if you replace it with, say, a salt substitute, does your body see it more as a supplement or through food? That is debatable and to be determined later.’

While the exact recommended serving size for a salt substitute is unclear, the recommended daily intake of potassium is 4700 milligrams, more than double that of sodium.

However, potassium chloride can cause some adverse effects, namely headache, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

However, people with kidney disease may experience more extreme effects, as their kidneys have difficulty filtering potassium.

This can lead to buildup of potassium in the blood or hyperkalemia. Sudden or severe hyperkalemia can be life-threatening.

People with high blood pressure may have higher potassium levels due to the effects of their medication, so they should be careful before taking potassium chloride as a salt substitute.

The exact serving size it takes for someone to experience those sensitivities is unknown.

Rouse’s customers report using salt substitutes in the same amounts as normal table salt.

“We don’t use potassium and salt substitutes the way we used salt, so we don’t really know what the effects will be and how much people will consume,” Rouse said.

It can also have a more metallic taste than salt.

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a popular salt substitute. However, there is an important caveat: it still contains sodium. Specifically, it has about a third of the sodium of table salt.

MSG occurs naturally in many foods, such as tomatoes and cheeses. It is produced by fermenting starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses.

The FDA has ruled that MSG is “generally recognized as safe,” and there is no significant amount of research to suggest that MSG causes sensitivities or serious health risks.

However, Rouse doesn’t encourage opting for it instead of regular salt. “I don’t see any benefit in eating that.

“I would even encourage table salt instead of MSG, because table salt is at least fortified with iodine,” said Rouse.

Not getting enough iodine can cause an enlarged thyroid gland, and a deficiency during pregnancy has even been linked to miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects.

Flavor recommended foods with things like garlic, lemon, dried herbs and spices instead of salt.

“My first recommendation would always be to eat fresh, minimally processed foods, as they contain more nutrients and are better for our health. But if you are going to choose one [salt substitute]start slow,” she said.

Rouse suggested starting by limiting salt itself rather than opting for a substitute first.

The proposed ruling is part of the Biden-Harris administration National strategy for hunger, nutrition and healthlaunched in September 2022.