Pass the Bread, Hold the Salt

Salt is a wonderful flavor enhancer. Once so valuable it was used as currency by Chinese and Mediterranean cultures.

The use of salt dates back to at least 6,000 BC.

But salt is also a culprit linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

So what is the primary source of salt in American diets? You may be surprised.

Bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips.

Need to know more?

According to the CDC, breads and rolls account for about 7 percent of the salt that the average American eats in a day. Next on the list: cold cuts and cured meats; pizza; fresh and processed poultry; soups; fast-food hamburgers and sandwiches and cheese.

Rounding out the list — and accounting for about 3 percent each — are spaghetti and other pasta dishes; meatloaf and other meat dishes and snacks like potato chips and pretzels.

This is making me thirsty.

Wonder how much salt in a beer?