High Blood Pressure and Hidden Salt
In a charming news article, the BBC reports that the British Sandwich Association is concerned about high salt levels in national fare. If you have high blood pressure, there is now new evidence that avoiding soup and potato chips will not be sufficient in curbing your salt intake. Yes, even the humble sandwich can be a good hiding place for sodium. But this article is even more whimsical than informative.
First of all, I think it’s terribly funny that the “British Sandwich Association” actually exists – and that its public health warnings are taken very seriously. Second, I think that the contents of common British sandwiches are somewhat disturbing: a “prawn mayonnaise” sandwich lacks a certain appeal in my mind. And the fact that this variety of sandwich was selected as a representative example of a typical sandwich is also amusing.
And finally, the website for the British Sandwich Association is hilarious. Check out part of their mission statement:
“To safeguard the integrity of the sandwich market by setting standards
for sandwich making, by encouraging excellence in sandwich making and
by encouraging the development of the industry in terms of skills,
innovation and overall market development.”
And the BBC includes this very astute quote from the organization’s director:
“Sandwiches involve the assembly of ingredients,” said Jim Winship, director of the organisation. “The fact is that the salt is already in the ingredients…”
Well, I think the take home message here is that if you have high blood pressure or are on a low salt diet, remember that sandwiches often contain very high sodium levels. The message between the lines is that the British are inherently funny and have bizarre taste in food.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
Have never been a sandwich fan, and this just gives me all the more reason not to enjoy them. Unless it is with Ezekiel 4:9 Bread! I’ll have to check the sodium levels, now.