Sodium and Your Health

Salt contains sodium, which can cause the body to hold onto fluid and raise high blood pressure. This makes the heart work harder and can lead to serious health problems. The good news is that eating less sodium can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your health risks.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends that healthy adults eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium or less per day. This is equal to about one teaspoon of salt. The recommendation is 1500 mg of sodium per day for those with hypertension.

The recommendation is 1500 mg of sodium per day for those with hypertension.

Nutrition Facts

Over 75% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods. Checking the nutrition facts on food labels can help you keep track of the amount of sodium in the foods you choose. Foods that are considered low sodium have 140 mg sodium or less.

Foods with 480 mg of sodium or more per serving are considered high in sodium. Be sure to look at the serving size at the top of the label. If you eat two servings, then you get twice the amount of sodium listed on the label.

Avoid using products with sodium/salt listed as one of the first few ingredients. Ingredients are listed on a label in order from most content to least. If salt is listed as one of the last ingredients in a product, this would be a better choice.

Be aware that salt goes by many names and is the main ingredient in the following seasonings:

Soy sauce
Baking soda
MSG
Brine
Chili sauce
Meat tenderizers
Lemon pepper
Sodium
Bouillon
Worcestershire sauce

Expert Tips

Taste your food before adding salt. Start to decrease your salt intake slowly and let your taste buds adjust. You can retrain you taste buds to taste the delicious, natural flavor of foods.
Try to use 1/2 the amount of salt in recipes. Use herbs, spices and salt-free herb and spice blends to add flavor when cooking.
Choose fresh or frozen. Limit canned, smoked, and processed foods which are high sodium. Rinse canned vegetables before cooking. This removes a good amount of sodium before cooking.
Ask for your meals to be prepared without salt when dining out. Request sauces and dressings on the side and then use less of them.
Try splitting your meal with someone or ask the waiter to put 1/2 the meal in a to-go container to take home. Less food means less sodium.
Be aware of home remedies and over the counter drugs, such as baking soda or aka seltzer for indigestion. Ask your pharmacist about the sodium content of such remedies.

Salt substitutes that contain potassium chloride

Always check with your physician before using salt substitutes that contain potassium chloride. Too much potassium is not recommended with some medications and medical conditions.