Teaching People How To Substitute Herbs And Spices Reduces Salt Intake

A two-phase U.S. clinical study in which participants were taught strategies for substituting herbs and spices for salt found that those involved in the intervention learned to consume healthier levels of sodium. More than 60 percent of the participants had high blood pressure, 18 percent had diabetes; all were overweight. In phase 1 of the study, all participants ate a low-sodium diet for four weeks, reducing average sodium intake by half. In phase 2, half of the participants spent 20 weeks learning how to use herbs and spices in recipes, how to make low-sodium intake permanent, etc. Those in the intervention group consumed on average 966 mg less sodium daily than the control group, indicating that the coaching process was a more effective way to reduce sodium intake.