Reducing sodium intake to recommended daily levels could result in 11.1 million fewer cases of high blood pressure each year in the US and reduce health care costs by as much as $18 billion, according to researchers at Pardee RAND Graduate School of policy analysis.
Unhealthy Amounts of Sodium Consumed
The maximum daily sodium recommendation in the US is 2,300 milligrams but the average person consumes 3,400 milligrams per day, according to the study by doctoral fellow Kartika Palar and colleagues.
Australians consume as much as 9,000 milligrams of salt a day, more than double the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 4,000 milligrams. People in the UK and Europe also eat similar amounts of salt.
Too much sodium is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke and heart attack, kidney disease and stomach cancer, and it may also aggravate asthma and osteoarthritis.
High levels of salt also affect children’s healthy development, and may contribute to chronic disease problems later in life.
The study authors simulated models of different sodium-reduction scenarios, using population-level data on sodium intake, blood pressure and medication use from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1999 to 2004.
Their study appeared in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Most Sodium in Processed Food
Commenting on the study, the Chair of the Australian division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH), Professor Bruce Neal, said consumers need to be aware of the quantities of salt in their food, and be proactive about reducing it.
Most sodium in people’s diets comes from processed and fast foods, he said. “One burger can contain 150% of the RDI for salt, and one sandwich can contain over 100% of an adult’s RDI.”
Another commentator, Dr Jasminka Ilich, professor at Florida State University, said that since the surveys the researchers reviewed were done several years ago, “it is possible that the actual intake of sodium in the population has changed due to already huge public education and efforts to reduce sodium.”
Fast food chains were already lowering the sodium levels in some of their products, she said.
Read Food Labels to Check Sodium Content
Both Dr Ilich and Dr Neal agreed that consumers need to be vigilant about their salt intake, and to read food labels on canned and processed foods.
“Sodium is present in all foods, but most abundantly in processed foods. On average, individuals get over 70 percent of their sodium from processed foods,” Dr Ilich said.
“There isn’t much leverage in reducing table salt or added salt during cooking if you don’t address this.” Dr Neal added that people should learn which foods, especially fast foods, were high in salt, and to avoid them or eat them less often.
Even though the major fast food chains were making efforts to reduce salt levels and provide healthier choices, many of their offerings were still unacceptably salty. In particular, he suggested avoiding bacon and ham products, deep fried chicken, pizzas with pepperoni, bacon or lots of cheese, olives or anchovies.
He also advocated reading food labels on canned and packaged groceries for their sodium content. “Read labels when shopping and choose low sodium or salt-free alternatives in pre-packaged foods,” he said.
You might also be interested in Ten Tips to Cut Down on Salt and Eat the DASH Diet for a Healthy Heart
Sue Cartledge - I'm a science, health, nutrition and lifestyle journalist, fascinated by the way the physical world operates in all its forms, and how ...
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