Sodium Recommendations

It is no surprise that Americans eat too much sodium, since we consume so much processed food! More than 4 in 10 American adults suffer from high blood pressure and reducing sodium intake has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in the coming years, according to the FDA.

The FDA said the modest reductions made slowly over the next few years will substantially decrease diet-related diseases and said it plans to issue revised, subsequent targets to further lower the sodium content incrementally

So the agency is issuing a volunteering request for chain restaurants, food manufacturers and food service operators to reduce sodium levels in 163 of the most consumed processed, packaged and prepared foods. The request is to reduce sodium intake by 12% over the next two years to 3,000 mg/day from 3,400 mg/day.

How is your sodium intake?  Do you generally follow a low salt diet?