The issue is so important that the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association and the US National Institutes of Health have launched a campaign to cut salt intake by half. The AMA has even gone so far as to urge the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw salt's designation as "safe."
The average American consumes 4 000mg to 6 000mg of salt per day. The FDA recommends a limit of 2 400 mg a day, while the Institute of Medicine recommends a maximum of 1 500 mg a day.
In the April 19 2007 issue of the British Medical Journal, two studies found that reducing salt intake by 25% to 35% could cut the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 25% and lower the risk of death by 20%.
Many people mistakenly believe that simply removing the salt shaker from the table will solve the problem, but many kinds of packaged, processed and restaurant foods contain high levels of salt. It's used for taste, to preserve foods and to provide texture.
Here are some tips on how you can reduce your salt intake:
- Identify foods that have a high salt (sodium) content.
- Limit your daily salt intake to between 1 500mg and 2 400mg.
- When dining out, ask for unsalted menu items.
- At home, use herbs and spices to season your food.
- Remove salt from recipes when possible.
- Don't put the salt shaker on your dining room table.
Read more:
Less salt, less heart disease
Top 10 foods with hidden salt