Bibimbap Is Korea's Saltiest Food

In May, a new list of Korean foods was released to the public.

It ranked popular dishes by their saltiness.

The list was organized by researchers at Kyungpook National University.

They measured the average amount of salt in various types of Korean foods.

Surprisingly bibimbap topped all Korean foods with about 1,050 milligrams of sodium per serving.

This is about half of 2,000 milligrams, or the daily salt intake suggested by the World Health Organization, WHO.

In the soup category, yukgaejang, a type of spicy beef soup, contains the highest level of sodium.

It has 877 milligrams of sodium per bowl.

Soybean paste stew ranked second with 813 milligrams per serving.

Sodium is a necessary nutrient for humans, because it helps our nerves and muscles to function properly.

However, it is beneficial only when people consume the appropriate amount.

On average, they consume 3,890 milligrams of sodium daily, which is nearly double the WHO's standard.

Unfortunately, Koreans usually take in an excessive amount of salt.

Too much sodium can cause a number of diseases, including high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.

 

• sodium  |soʊdiəm     나트륨 Natrium   Soybean  sɔ́ibì:n  콩, 대두  appropriate  ə|prəʊprieɪt  적절한 (↔inappropriate)

• excessive  ɪkˈsesɪv   지나친, 과도한  excess  ɪkˈses  (어떤 정도를) 지나침, 과도, 과잉 ,   (… 이상의) 초과량[액]  exceed  ɪkˈsiːd  (특정한 수·양을) 넘다[초과하다/초월하다] 

• cardiovascular  |kɑːrdioʊ│væskjələ  심혈관의