Remember to take note of the serving size on the Nutrition Facts label. Because the average American eats so much excess sodium, even cutting back by 1, milligrams a day can significantly improve blood pressure and heart health. And remember, more than 70 percent of the sodium Americans eat comes from packaged, prepared and restaurant foods — not the salt shaker.
On average, Americans eat more than 3, milligrams of sodium each day — much more than the American Heart Association and other health organizations recommend. Most of us are likely underestimating how much sodium we eat, if we can estimate it at all. Keeping sodium in check is part of following an overall healthy eating pattern. The American Heart Association diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, plant-based protein, lean animal protein and fish.
Replace processed meats, refined carbohydrates and sweetened beverages with healthier options. Eating this way should help you limit your sodium as well as harmful fats.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Food and Drug Administration. Silver Spring, MD: U. Food and Drug Administration; Accessed August 31, Department of Agriculture, U. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, — external icon , 9th ed. December Accessed January 29, Prevalence of sodium intake in the United States external icon. Estimated hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion in US adults. Briefel R, Johnson C. Secular trends in dietary intake in the United States external icon.
Annu Rev Nutr. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff. Eat Smart. American Heart Association Cookbooks.
Nutrition Basics. Healthy For Good: Spanish Infographics. When choosing soup, try lower-sodium varieties. Make your sandwiches with low-fat, low sodium cheeses, and try not to pile on the condiments. Minimize processed red meats, cured or smoked meats, and other salty processed foods. Eating too much sodium causes fluid retention throughout the body that constricts and damages heart, liver, and kidney function in addition to edema swelling in the legs or ankles.
Excessive sodium consumption favors some types of tumors, such as stomach cancer, which can be favored by excessive salt consumption. In large quantities, it can be an irritant that erodes the stomach lining, causing ulcerous lesions infections predisposing to the presentation of gastric tumors. When people reduce their salt intake, they experience a decrease in the severity of asthma symptoms. Doctors also point out that too much sodium can worsen this respiratory condition and cause it to be more difficult for patients with severe cases to breathe normally or take medications as prescribed.
Since salt intake increases thirst, this tries to be quenched with sugary and energetic drinks, such as soft drinks, whose continued and excessive consumption unbalances the balance between calories ingested and calories consumed, predisposing to overweight and obesity. Obesity is also a disease that causes and negatively influences the aforementioned diseases of the circulatory system heart attacks and strokes , kidney, respiratory system, various types of tumors, musculoskeletal system osteoporosis, osteoarthritis , etc….
Now that you know how unhealthy too much sodium can be, you should no longer have trouble resisting it. But, on the contrary, you may find yourself enjoying lower sodium foods more than the ones you used to eat. The research is inconclusive, but it seems like a good rule of thumb to keep your sodium intake below 2 2, mg grams per day. Then, it might be time for some personal reflection! For instance, removing the salt shaker from your sight. If this post has inspired you to make any changes, please let us know how they go by commenting below.
We care about what we eat too! Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue M D.
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