Question: Many breakfast cereals that are low in sugar contain a large amount of sodium. Why is that?
--SUSAN MISKEWITZ
Answer: Sodium is used in foods as a flavor enhancer or as a preservative. According to Meghan Parkhurst, a registered dietitian at the Kellogg Co., there is no inverse relationship between sodium and sugar levels in foods. However, simple carbohydrates or simple sugars do contribute a sweet taste and can be used as a flavor enhancer. Parkhurst says that some cereal recipes are now formulated for a better health profile, and as ingredients such as fats and sugars are reduced, moderate sodium can be added to enhance flavor. Although there is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sodium, health experts recommend fewer than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day; just one teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300 milligrams. Breakfast cereals range from 0 to 370 milligrams per serving.
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Q: Sushi is becoming the fashionable health food. What are the trends, and is it really healthful?
--S. KISHIGAMI
A: Sushi may well be on the way to becoming the new pizza. The National Sushi Society reports the number of sushi bars in the U.S. quintupled over the past 10 years to 5,000. And in 1999, 40% more Americans reported eating sushi than just five years earlier.
