Salt: The Latest on How Much is Too Much

Salt: The Latest on How Much is Too Much

The average American takes in about 1½ teaspoons, or 8,500 milligrams (mg), of salt (approximately about 3,400 mg of sodium) per day—nearly 50% higher than the 5,700 mg The average American takes in about 1½ teaspoons, or 8,500 milligrams (mg), of salt per day—nearly 50% higher than the 5,700 mg recommended for healthy people by the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That’s double the American Heart Association recommendation (3,800 mg of salt, or 1,500 mg of sodium) for older people or those with signs of high blood pressure, heart conditions, kidney trouble, or diabetes.

Hidden Culprit?

Much of the intake, according to research studies conducted by the Institute of Medicine, is considered “hidden salt,” salt that acts as a preservative or a binder to helping yeast rise in commercially prepared foods. The Congressionally mandated study recommended the FDA curb the amount of salt in commercially prepared food and the overabundance of sodium in a gradual approach over the next 10 years (2010 to 2020).

While some food companies already market low-sodium versions of their foods, other have exponentially increased salt levels, which collectively, can lead to damage arteries, increase blood pressure, kidney failure and strokes. The Institute of Medicine concluded lowering dietary sodium intake could potentially save at least 100,000 lives a year.

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Natural Benefits

Of course, salt occurs naturally in many foods, including fruits and vegetables, and plays a role in regulating blood volume and pressure including the flexibility of the blood vessels, according to the Salt Institute, a based non-profit salt industry trade association dedicated to advocating responsible uses of salt. The institute encourages Americans to avoid excessive intake of salt by choosing foods naturally low in salt, avoiding foods high in salt (pre-prepared foods), refraining from adding salt at the table and minimizing the amount of salt used in cooking, and to increase awareness of the salt content of food choices in restaurants.