Nearly all Americans consume significantly more sodium than they should, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the sodium comes from common restaurant or grocery store items.
The latest Vital Signs report found that 10 types of foods are responsible for more than 40% of people's sodium intake. The leading sources, in order, are breads and rolls; lunch meat such as deli ham or turkey; pizza; poultry; soups; cheeseburgers and other sandwiches; cheese; pasta dishes; meat dishes such as meat loaf; and snack foods such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.
Some foods consumed several times a day, such as bread, add up to a lot of sodium even though each serving is not high in sodium.
"Too much sodium raises blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, said in a news release. "These diseases kill more than 800,000 Americans each year and contribute an estimated $273 billion in healthcare costs."
The report noted that the average person consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day — not including any salt added at the table — which is more than twice the recommended limit for about half of Americans and six of every 10 adults. Federal dietary guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. The recommendation is 1,500 milligrams per day for people ages 51 and older, for anyone with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and for African Americans.
The report found that the 10 previously mentioned types of foods account for 44% of dietary sodium consumed each day, with 65% of sodium coming from food sold in stores and 25% coming from restaurant meals. Reducing the sodium content of the 10 leading sodium sources by 25% would lower total dietary sodium by more than 10% and could play a role in preventing up to 28,000 deaths per year, according to a CDC estimate.
Reducing daily sodium consumption is difficult because it is in so many foods, the report noted. People can lower their sodium intake by eating a diet rich in fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables without sauce while limiting the amount of processed foods with added sodium. Individuals can also check grocery food labels and choose the products lowest in sodium. CDC supports recommendations for food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium added to foods.
The Vital Signs report is available at http://1.usa.gov/yTPgIQ.
The latest Vital Signs report found that 10 types of foods are responsible for more than 40% of people's sodium intake. The leading sources, in order, are breads and rolls; lunch meat such as deli ham or turkey; pizza; poultry; soups; cheeseburgers and other sandwiches; cheese; pasta dishes; meat dishes such as meat loaf; and snack foods such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.
Some foods consumed several times a day, such as bread, add up to a lot of sodium even though each serving is not high in sodium.
"Too much sodium raises blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, said in a news release. "These diseases kill more than 800,000 Americans each year and contribute an estimated $273 billion in healthcare costs."
The report noted that the average person consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day — not including any salt added at the table — which is more than twice the recommended limit for about half of Americans and six of every 10 adults. Federal dietary guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. The recommendation is 1,500 milligrams per day for people ages 51 and older, for anyone with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and for African Americans.
The report found that the 10 previously mentioned types of foods account for 44% of dietary sodium consumed each day, with 65% of sodium coming from food sold in stores and 25% coming from restaurant meals. Reducing the sodium content of the 10 leading sodium sources by 25% would lower total dietary sodium by more than 10% and could play a role in preventing up to 28,000 deaths per year, according to a CDC estimate.
Reducing daily sodium consumption is difficult because it is in so many foods, the report noted. People can lower their sodium intake by eating a diet rich in fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables without sauce while limiting the amount of processed foods with added sodium. Individuals can also check grocery food labels and choose the products lowest in sodium. CDC supports recommendations for food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium added to foods.
The Vital Signs report is available at http://1.usa.gov/yTPgIQ.
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