Most Americans think wine is good for the heart but don’t realize there are recommended limits for alcohol consumption, and they also mistakenly believe sea salt is a low sodium alternative to table salt, according to a recent survey by the American Heart Association (AHA) who concluded not enough is being done to educate the public about the heart-health risks of over-consuming these products.
Many studies have shown that limited wine consumption can be good for the heart and pointed out the risks of a high salt intake.
So the AHA asked a representative sample of 1,000 American adults a series of questions to assess their awareness and beliefs about how consumption of wine and salt affects the heart.
What they found is that most Americans seem confused about the health effects of wine and salt. For example, while they believe wine can be good for the heart, they don’t appear to understand that beyond a certain daily limit then it can be bad for health.
The AHA recommend that men limit their intake of alcoholic drinks to one or two per day and women to one. For wine this means no more than 8 oz (just under 250 ml) a day for men and 4 oz (125 ml) a day for women (note nowadays 4 oz or 125 ml is considered a small glass of wine).
Heavy and regular consumption of alcohol of any type can dramatically increase blood pressure, cause irregular heartbeats, heart failure and strokes. It can also contribute to higher levels of blood fats (triglycerides), and increase risk of breast cancer, suicide, accidents and obesity.
The survey revealed that most Americans think sea salt is a low-sodium alternative to table salt, whereas it is mostly the same chemical compound, sodium chloride, with the same proportion of sodium by weight (about 40% of sodium chloride is sodium). Half a teaspoon of salt contains 1,200 milligrams of sodium, which is 300 mg under the maximum daily limit recommended by the AHA.
Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, and lead to heart disease and stroke.
Also, the survey found that nearly half of respondents erroneously believe that the primary source of salt in their diet comes from what they add themselves from the salt shaker (whereas in the American diet nearly three quarters of sodium comes from processed foods like tomato sauce, prepared mixes and sauces, soups, condiments and canned foods).
The main results of the survey showed that among American adults:
- 59% know their blood pressure readings.
- 76% “agree” with the statement that wine is good for the heart.
- 73% say they drink wine.
- 30% know the AHA recommended limits for wine consumption.
- 46% believe most of the salt in American diets comes from table salt.
- 61% incorrectly “agree” with the statement that sea salt is a low sodium alternative to table salt.
- 24% know the AHA’s recommended daily limit for sodium consumption (1,500 milligrams).
AHA spokesman Dr Gerald Fletcher, professor of medicine – cardiovascular diseases, at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Jacksonville, Florida, told the press that:
“This survey shows that we need to do a better job of educating people about the heart-health risks of overconsumption of wine, especially its possible role in increasing blood pressure.”
“High-sodium diets are linked to an increase in blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke,” he added.
Fletcher urged consumers to read the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients lists on food and beverage packaging.
Note that sodium is present if the food label includes the words “soda” or “sodium”, or the chemical symbol “Na”.
— To learn more about the effects of alcohol and salt on health see these AHA guides:
Source: AHA.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD