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Hidden Sodium

Most Americans should consume 1,500 mg or less of Sodium Daily

The salt in our foods and table salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Too much sodium is bad for your health and can increase your blood pressure and risk for a heart attack or stroke.  Heart disease and stroke are the first and third killers of men and women in the United States each year.

The current dietary guidelines recommend that adults in general should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium on a daily basis. However, if you are in the following population groups, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg per day.

• You are 40 years of age or older.
• You are African American.
• You have high blood pressure.

A new CDC report shows that 69 % of Americans ( 2 out of 3) fall into at least one of these three groups, while another study shows that only 9.6% of U.S. adults limit their daily sodium intake to the recommended levels.  So where is all the sodium coming from?

Only about 10% actually comes from our salt shakers, an estimated 77% comes from sodium in processed or restaurant foods.

The CDC report idenifies 5 foods that give Americans most of their sodium:

1. Yeast breads

2. Chicken and mixed chicken dinners

3. Pizza

4. Pasta Dishes

5. Cold cuts

The 3 food groups from which we get the most sodium include some surprises:

-Grains contribute 37% which include grain-based frozen meals and soups, breads and pizza (which is mostly salty breads).

-Meats (including poultry and fish) contribute 28% of our daily sodium.

-Vegetables contribute more than 12% of our daily sodium intake.  This seems high for vegetables but when you factor items like potato chips or french fries which are vegetables,  it was more shocking the amount of sodium in canned vegetables as well.  Make a note of buying canned veggies that indicate Low sodium, and in these economic conscious times dont be fooled by thinking the more expensive brands are better for you.  Store brand canned vegetables indicating "no salt added" have been found to have as low as 1% sodium content vs. leading brands which have been found to have 16% sodium per serving.  On the average 15.5 oz. can at 3.5 servings/can and 16% percent equals out to 56%  of your daily value of sodium on a can of veggies that unless you looked seems perfectly healthy --Frozen vegetables are a great alternative often containing much less sodium if you are unable to find the low sodium canned foods.

Check out these books for a living a healthier low sodium diet: