The body needs a little sodium to work properly, but too much is bad for health. Most of the sodium people eat comes from salt, and most of it comes from processed and restaurant foods.
The health risk
Too much sodium can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Together, heart disease and stroke kill more Americans each year than any other cause.
Most people eat too much
Americans consume more than 3,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day on average — well above the federal recommendation of less than 2,300 mg a day for teens and adults as part of a healthy eating pattern.
Where it comes from
Sodium turns up in almost every category of food. According to unpublished National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 2021–2023, among the top sources are:
| Children aged 1 to 17 | Adults 18 and older |
|---|---|
| savory snacks such as chips, crackers and popcorn | deli meat sandwiches |
| pizza | soups |
| deli meat sandwiches | pizza |
| chicken nuggets and tenders | poultry (other than nuggets and tenders) |
| soups | savory snacks such as chips, crackers and popcorn |
| pasta mixed dishes (other than macaroni and cheese) | pasta mixed dishes (other than macaroni and cheese) |
| breads, rolls and buns | breads, rolls and buns |
| cheese, including cottage and ricotta | cheese, including cottage and ricotta |
| poultry (other than nuggets and tenders) | meat mixed dishes |
| cookies, brownies and cakes | vegetables (other than white potatoes) |
Packaged or processed soups, vegetables and poultry often contain sodium, so it pays to look for no- or low-sodium versions. Reading the Nutrition Facts label helps.
Salt or sodium?
They are not the same thing. Table salt is sodium chloride, which is 40% sodium and 60% chloride; one teaspoon holds about 2,400 mg of sodium. Sodium is also a mineral in many common food ingredients, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium nitrate, a preservative.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "About Sodium and Health": https://www.cdc.gov/salt/about/index.html
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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