Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also to share more professional health knowledge with you, so as to escort your health, thank you for your support.
Li Tingting stood in the corridor of the hospital, looking at the door of the emergency room, her heart full of anxiety and doubts. Her husband, Wang Qiang, had just been brought in by ambulance, and doctors said it might have been a stroke caused by high blood pressure.
But Wang Qiang is only 35 years old, and he usually looks very good, how could such a thing suddenly happen? Li Tingting recalled her husband's daily habits and tried to find clues.
Suddenly, a possibility flashed through her mind, could it be those seemingly innocuous snacks that were to blame?
Wang Qiang is an advertising creative director with a lot of pressure. To relieve stress, he often stocked up on snacks in the office and worked while eating.
Li Tingting remembered her husband's favorite snacks: potato chips, plums, pickled olives, and nuts that he called a "healthy snack." Are these snacks really harmless? Li Tingting decided to find out.
Just then, an old doctor with a kind face walked over. "Hello, I'm Dr. Zhang. Your husband is currently in stable condition, but needs further observation. "
Dr. Zhang saw Li Tingting's doubts, "Are you wondering why you have such a problem at such a young age?"
Li Tingting nodded and told Dr. Zhang her guess. After listening to this, Dr. Zhang said thoughtfully, "Your observation is very keen.
In fact, there are many seemingly healthy or harmless foods in our daily life, but in fact, there may be hidden dangers. Especially some snacks that are high in salt, long-term consumption can indeed cause serious health effects. "
Dr. Zhang invited Li Tingting to his office for a detailed discussion. He turned on his computer and pulled up some research materials: "According to the World Health Organization, adults should not consume more than 5 grams of salt per day.
But in reality, a lot of people consume far more than that, with snacks contributing a significant proportion. "
"Let's take a look at a few common high-salt snacks." Dr. Zhang began by enumerating:
1. Nuts: Many people think of nuts as a healthy food, but they ignore that they often contain a lot of added salt. In the case of 100 grams of almonds, for example, it may contain up to 700 mg of sodium, which is equivalent to 1.75 grams of salt.
2 Potato chips: This may not come as a surprise, with 100 grams of potato chips containing an average of 500-700 mg of sodium.
3. Pickled foods: such as plums, olives, etc., with amazing salt content. 100 grams of plums may contain up to 20 grams of salt!
4. Instant noodles: Although not a typical snack, many people will treat it as a fast food. A seasoning packet of instant noodles may contain nearly 4 grams of salt.
Li Tingting was dumbfounded when she heard this: "Oh my God, do we usually eat so 'salty'?" Do these foods really cause high blood pressure and stroke?"
"Long-term high salt intake is indeed linked to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
According to a study published in The Lancet, an extra 5 grams of salt per day increased the risk of stroke by 23% and heart disease by 17%. "
"However," Dr Teo adds, "high salt intake is not the only cause of these diseases.
Genetics, stress, lack of exercise, etc. can all be triggers. However, it is true that controlling salt intake is a relatively easy preventive measure to achieve. "
Li Tingting thought thoughtfully: "Then what should we do?" You can't quit snacking completely, can you?"
Dr. Zhang smiled: "Of course it doesn't have to be so extreme. The key is to choose snacks 'smart' and control your intake. For example, you can choose unsalted or low-salt versions of nuts; replacing pickled foods with fresh fruits;
Choose plain potato chips instead of the flavored version. More importantly, make it a habit to read food labels to see how much salt you are actually consuming each day. "
"In addition to that," Dr. Teo continues, "there are a few tips that can help reduce salt intake.
For example, use herbs and spices to add flavor when cooking, rather than relying on salt; Try to choose fresh ingredients rather than processed foods; When eating out, you can ask for less salt or separate condiments. "
Li Tingting carefully wrote down these suggestions, and suddenly thought: "Doctor, you just said that nuts are the number one, and many people think that it is a healthy food.
Does this mean that some foods that are widely considered 'healthy' may not be so healthy?"
Dr. Zhang nodded: "You're right. That's why we need to be health-conscious and not blindly trust the so-called 'healthy food' label.
For example, some 'energy bars' or 'protein bars' may contain a lot of added sugars despite their good nutritional profile. As another example, some 'low-fat' foods may have extra sugar or salt added to preserve the taste. "
"So," Dr. Teo concludes, "it's important to have a holistic understanding of the nutritional content of a food, rather than just focusing on a single factor." Eating a balanced diet in moderation is the way to health. "
Li Tingting said gratefully, "Thank you, Dr. Zhang. This information is really helpful. I will have a good discussion with Wang Qiang and adjust our eating habits. "
Walking out of the hospital, Li Tingting's mood was much more relaxed. She decided to take immediate action by going to the supermarket to buy some fresh fruit and unsalted nuts and prepare a healthy visitor's meal.
She also plans to study food labels and maybe learn some low-salt cooking techniques.
This experience made Li Tingting realize that health is actually hidden in the bits and pieces of daily life. Every small choice can affect our long-term health.
She was determined to turn this lesson into an opportunity to lead her family towards a healthier lifestyle.
On the way from the hospital to the supermarket, Li Tingting's mind kept echoing Dr. Zhang's words: "Choose wisely and eat in moderation."
She understands that this is not just a snack suggestion, but a wisdom of life. From today onwards, she wants to become the guardian of family health, and use knowledge and action to weave a healthy protective net for her family.
Bibliography:
World Health Organization. (2012). Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Mozaffarian， D.， Fahimi， S.， Singh， G. M.， Micha， R.， Khatibzadeh， S.， Engell， R. E.， ... & Global Burden of Diseases Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Expert Group. (2014). Global sodium consumption and death from cardiovascular causes. New England Journal of Medicine， 371(7)， 624-634.
He， F. J.， & MacGregor， G. A. (2009). A comprehensive review on salt and health and current experience of worldwide salt reduction programmes. Journal of human hypertension， 23(6)， 363-384.
Strazzullo， P.， D'Elia， L.， Kandala， N. B.， & Cappuccio， F. P. (2009). Salt intake， stroke， and cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Bmj， 339， b4567.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
[This content is a fictional short story, and any name, place name, or other aspects involved in the text have nothing to do with reality (without any implications). If there is any similarity, it is purely a coincidence, please read it rationally. 】