Cutting the Salt Out

CUTTING THE SALT OUT

. . . the high-sodium [salt], low-potassium standard American diet (often called S.A.D.) [is] particularly problematic and dangerous for African Americans. Statistics prove this.

-Ann Louise Gittleman

WE MUST TEACH OUR OWN . . .

Re-thinking the American diet that we’ve been subjected to since being in this country is probably one of the most important steps toward the survival of the black community that African Americans can take. The American Heart Association, year after year, continues to report that compared to whites, “blacks have a greater rate of deaths from stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure, and high blood pressure is the number-one preventable cause of more than sixty-five thousand deaths annually among African Americans”(Gittleman). These statistics are reported year in and year out but do we ever question the source of blood hypertension so that we can take preventative measures and improve our lives.

By now, most of us realize that too much salt in our diets is a culprit in many health problems. But just how much is too much? The answer surprisingly depends on who you are. We must begin teaching ourselves and our children the importance of family history in determining our dietary needs. We must also begin acknowledging to ourselves and our children that everybody is not the same. We must embrace our diversity, learn everything we can about ourselves, and use what we learn to empower ourselves and our communities.

The genetic DNA that we inherit from our parents plays a significant role in how we react and tolerate salt. Salt-sensitivity runs along family lines. If one or both parents are salt-sensitive, their children are much more likely to be salt sensitive, too. Very salt-sensitive individuals in families with histories of high blood pressure experience troublesome symptoms like water retention or an increase in blood pressure when they use even the slightest amount of salt. However, even individuals who appear to be from families who are prevalently salt-resistant sometimes set the stage for high blood pressure and other illnesses later on in life if they continue to follow a long-term diet high in salt.

As black people re-examining our relationship to the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), we can no longer afford the confusion that results from a people who denies its roots for the sake of saying “we’re all the same; we’re all human.” That’s just not true. All people’s of the earth are not the same. Our salt-sensitivity – and our particular requirements for sodium – are not just influenced by our parents and grandparents. They are also influenced by ancestors further back in our history. Scientific researchers have discovered that everybody’s nutrient needs are determined far more by where our ancestors originated than by where we live now. This is especially true for black people, who are more salt-sensitive than whites and have a higher incidence of hypertension. Teach your children that our ancestors originally lived in warm tropical climates where very-low-sodium, high potassium fresh fruits (bananas etc.), vegetables, and other plant foods were abundant, and their body chemistries adapted to these native foods and dietary conditions.

Teach them also that today, even though we’ve moved away from Africa, the land of our distant ancestors, we still carry our ancient ancestral genes of a sodium-intolerant mechanism and a greater need for potassium. This is what makes the American diet so toxic (literally) for African Americans. At the rate we are dying from this diet that we’ve adapted, most black people will cease to exist from America in a matter of another century.

It is not easy to talk of separation to black people. However, rethinking the matter of American food will help African Americans to begin the process of the self-healing that is needed from too much “Americanism.” Hot Dogs, hamburgers, fries, chips, and many other American standards must be removed from our children’s meals. Our communities can no longer afford the luxury of poisoning ourselves. The health coverage we once might have had is no longer available and I don’t think this condition will be changing anytime soon.

Affirmation
I value my ancient African roots as an indicator of my true nutrient needs.

Action Step
Take back control of your family. Use evenings and weekends, during family preparation of the meals, to re-educate your children about their roots and how this information is related to their body chemistries. The schools will not teach this information. Take charge and save yourself and your children.

fasemoyin