Diabetes: Are Salt Substitutes Safe?

By Chris Woolston, M.S.        
                                                  
Sugar gets most of the attention, but people with diabetes need to think about salt, too. Too much sodium -- the mineral in salt -- can raise your blood pressure, and high blood pressure can threaten both your heart and your kidneys. Simply having diabetes also puts these organs at risk, and you don't want high blood pressure to add to the danger.
The American Diabetes Association recommends eating no more than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, about what you would typically get from a cup of canned chicken noodle soup, a bacon cheeseburger, and five salted pretzels. Your doctor may suggest cutting back even more. Start by cutting back on what you add to cooking, which accounts for about 11 percent of the average persons daily intake of salt.
If you're trying to kick the salt habit, you may wonder if salt substitutes are worth a try. Filling your shaker with a low-salt or salt-free alternative can definitely help you cut back on sodium, especially if you're the type who tends to use the shaker at every meal. Salt substitutes are generally safe -- if you can stand the taste -- but there's a catch. Just about every salt substitute contains potassium, a mineral that can be extremely dangerous to people who already have weakened kidneys. Your kidneys help clear potassium from the blood. And if they aren't doing the job as well as they should, you could develop a potassium overload. This condition -- called hyperkalaemia -- can be potentially fatal if not treated right away.
Unless you've just had a kidney test, it's hard to know if your kidneys are working as they should. For this reason, you'd be better off going easy on salt AND salt substitutes. In addition to putting away your shaker, you should check the sodium levels on nutrition labels and avoid salty foods at restaurants. To make foods more flavorful, use herbs and salt-free spice blends when cooking at home. You can try squeezing some lemon on vegetables in place of salt. You'll find that foods don't have to be salty to be delicious.

 
Discover the pros and cons of using salt substitutes on your food. They may help lower your sodium intake, but are they safe for you?

Q: I’m watching my sodium intake because I have high blood pressure. Is it safe for me to use salt substitutes instead?

A: Yes, probably. However, some salt substitutes are composed of “potassium chloride” (instead of sodium chloride, which is found in regular salt), and extra potassium can be problematic for people who have kidney problems or those who are taking certain medications (such as potassium-sparing diuretics and other common blood pressure medications). Always speak with your physician before sprinkling this type of salt substitute on your food.
Other salt substitutes do not contain potassium chloride. These products are simply salt-free blends of different herbs and seasonings that add flavor to your food. Salt-free seasoning blends that do not contain potassium chloride are safe for everyone to enjoy (if your physician has instructed you to limit your potassium intake, always double-check the ingredients list to make sure there is no added potassium chloride, just to be sure).
You can also experiment with other herbs, spices, and seasonings such as cayenne pepper, garlic powder (not garlic salt), onion powder (not onion salt), cumin, smoked paprika, celery seed (not celery salt), curry powder, wasabi powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, dill, cilantro, thyme, sage, basil, tarragon, chives, lemon and lime juice and zest, wine, flavored vinegars, and extracts (vanilla, almond, etc.).