Consuming too much sodium can harm your health (and speed aging) in several ways, including weakening your bones, increasing your blood pressure (and, by extension, your risk of cardiovascular disease), and putting you at higher risk for kidney problems. And almost everyone in the US gets far more than they should.
The 2010 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that healthy adults should not exceed 2,300 mg of sodium per day (about 1 teaspoon), and those who have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes; are black; or are 51 or older should limit their intake to 1,500 mg per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). The American Heart Association, however, along with many other groups and researchers, believe that the recommendation for all US adults should be 1,500 mg.
The bottom line? Just about everyone can benefit from reducing their sodium intake, whether or not they fall into one of those high-risk groups. By far, the easiest way to do that is to cut back on processed and prepared foods, and to read nutrition facts labels on the products you do buy. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 77% of the salt in the American diet comes from processed food. (We add 6% at the table and 5% during cooking.) Sodium pops up in some sneaky places, including spaghetti sauce, sliced bread, and even some fresh chicken, which is sometimes injected with a saltwater solution to help keep it moist while cooking. A good general guideline is to choose products that have less than 200 mg per serving. When cooking, rely on herbs and spices to add rich flavor to your meals, and watch out for condiments and sauces (even those that don’t taste salty, like mustard and salad dressing). Cut back gradually over the course of a few weeks to allow your taste buds time to adjust.
If you’d like to learn more, including how to decode label-speak like “low sodium” and “reduced sodium,” the Mayo Clinic website has some great information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284.
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