Sodium

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Most Americans Should Consume Less Sodium
(1,500 mg/day or less)

Most of the sodium we consume is in the form of salt. Too much sodium is bad for your health. It can increase your blood pressure and your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the first and third killers of men and women in the United States each year.

Current dietary guidelines recommend that adults in general should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. However, if you are in the following population groups, you should  consume no more than 1,500 mg per day.

• You are 40 years of age or older.
• You are African American.
• You have high blood pressure.

A new CDC report shows that two out of three (69%) adults in the United States fall into these three groups who are at especially high risk for health problems from consuming too much sodium. Eating less sodium can help prevent, lower, or even control blood pressure.

Most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurants foods. Only about 5% comes from salt added during cooking and about 6% comes from being added at the table. You can find out how much sodium you are eating by checking the labels on food products and adding up the sodium milligrams. If at a restaurant, ask for nutritional information facts that include sodium.

Source: Mattes, RD, Donnelly, D. Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources. Journal of  the American College of Nutrition. 1991 Aug;10(4):383-393.

Choose a Heart-Healthy Diet

The DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a simple heart healthy diet that can help prevent or lower high blood pressure.

This diet is LOW in sodium, cholesterol, saturated and total fat, and HIGH in fruits and vegetables, fiber, potassium, and low-fat dairy products.

Making other lifestyle changes, like getting more physical activity, while on the DASH eating plan gives you the biggest benefits. Click here to learn more about the DASH Eating Plan.

CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Sodium

• MMWR article
• MMWR highlights sheet [PDF–117K]

What You Can Do

Resources

• Sodium Fact Sheet [PDF-435K]

Podcasts

• A Cup of Health with CDC - Living a Less Salty Life
  Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A diet high in sodium, or salt, can raise blood pressure. Dr. Darwin Labarthe discusses the importance of lowering your salt intake in order to minimize the risk of developing hypertension.
  Date released: 3/31/09
   
• A Minute of Health with CDC - Living a Less Salty Life
  A diet high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. This broadcast discusses how people can improve their health by becoming aware of the salt content in their food.
  Date released: 3/31/09

Other Resources

• Under Development: Institute of Medicine Report—Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake*
  A committee has been convened by the Institute of Medicine to review and make recommendations about various ways that could be used to reduce dietary sodium intake to the recommended levels in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  The study is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Online Resources–Domestic

• CDC High Blood Pressure Web Site
• American Heart Association—Shake Your Salt Habit*
• American Society of Hypertension*
• Center for Science in the Public Interest*
• NHLBI—Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
• National High Blood Pressure Education Program
• Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Nutrition.gov: What’s in Food—Salt and Sodium
• United States Department of Agriculture—Information on Salt/Sodium

Online Resources—International

• Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH)*
• Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom*
• World Health Organization, Reducing Salt Intake in Populations*
• World Hypertension League*
• AWASH—Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health*
• Sodium 101—Get the Facts*
  
   

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*Links to non–Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
 

Page last reviewed: November 20, 2009
Page last modified: November 20, 2009
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion