We may add a shake or two of salt to our food at the dinner table. Aside from the salt shaker, a majority of salt intake comes from the natural sodium found in foods. Too much sodium in the diet can increase your risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor that contributes to the development of heart disease and stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans consume too much sodium. Our bodies need just between 180 mg to 500 mg per day. An Adequate Intake (AI) level of 1500 mg per day was set by Institute of Medicine.
This applies especially if you are over 51 years of age, African American, have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. The average American consumes twice that amount at 3400 mg per day according to the CDC.
The recommended AI of 1500 mg per day applies to half of the U.S. population, but everyone can benefit from cutting back on their salt intake. Lowering sodium helps to prevent or control high blood pressure.
There are a few tips to try that can help you lower your salt intake.
- Cut back on dining at restaurants. Restaurants are known for their sodium packed meals. Cooking at home offers you more control over how your food is seasoned.
- Stay away from specialty coffee shop drinks. Starbucks' Salted Caramel Mocha contains 290 mg of sodium.
- Replace salty snack foods like potato chips with fruits and unsalted nuts.
- When cooking, use other flavorings such as lemon juice, vinegar and other spices such as black pepper, paprika or curry.
- Avoid canned foods at all costs. According to a list of canned foods from The U.S. Department of Agriculture, these contain dangerous amounts of salt. A can of chicken noodle soup for example, has 1106 mg of sodium.
