While Americans are advised by various public health guidelines to take in no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day, the national average is closer to 4,000 milligrams per person.

Can you identify which of these statements are true and which are false?

• Most people already moderate their sodium intake.
• Only people with high blood pressure (hypertension) need to cut back on salt or sodium.
• Most dietary sodium comes from salt added during cooking or eating.
• Low sodium meals are bland and tasteless.

If you answered "false" to all four statements, consider yourself a salt-savvy consumer.

While Americans are advised by various public health guidelines to take in no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day, the national average is closer to 4,000 milligrams per person.

Considerable evidence demonstrates that limiting dietary sodium can help control blood pressure in people diagnosed with hypertension, but others can probably benefit, too. In the recently published DASH II study, for example, people who decreased their usual sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams per day showed a concurrent decrease in blood pressure. Those who consumed only 1,500 milligrams experienced even further declines in blood pressure. Of particular interest is that these benefits applied to study participants with and without high blood pressure.

What are the primary sources of dietary sodium?

Table salt is made up of 40 percent sodium by weight, so it does contribute a fair amount to yur daily intake. But the majority comes from eating processed foods, so choosing more fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats instead of processed, canned and convenience foods will help you slash your sodium intake. So instead of ham, scalloped potatoes from a mix, and canned green beans, for example, why not try pork tenderloin, roasted red potatoes and garlic, and steamed fresh or frozen green beans?

Here are some other tips.

• Use accents like fresh garlic, ginger, scallions, lemon juice, wine, herbs, and spices to enhance food.
• Replace the salt shaker on your table with an herb blend substitute.
• Make your own salad dressing by coupling balsamic or another flavorful vinegar with a good quality olive oil. You'll save the 250 to 350 milligrams of sodium per serving found in typical bottled dressings.
• Use package labels to compare the sodium content of similar products, and try to buy those lowest in sodium. (See the labeling guide, for specific sodium claims.)
• Use food labels rather than relying on taste to assess sodium content. Corn flakes, for example, contain 304 milligrams of sodium per ounce. But they taste no more 'salty' than an ounce of shredded wheat, which contains only 1 milligram..
• Be patient. Salt is an acquired taste. Once you begin to cut back on sodium, you'll find you miss it less. .

And contrary to what many people believe, cutting back on sodium does not mean you are destined to bland, tasteless meals. Just imagine a succulent pear... or ripe strawberries... or rainbow trout lightly grilled with lemon and rosemary. Clearly, food can be both delicious and low in sodium.

Guide to Sodium Label Claims in the US

• Sodium free or salt free: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
• Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
• Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
• Reduced or less sodium: at least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version
• Light in sodium: 50 percent less sodium than the regular version
• Unsalted, no salt added: made without the salt that is normally used during processing.

Note: The terms "reduced sodium" and "light in sodium" are based on the sodium content of the regular product. This means a product can carry one these label claims but still be relatively high in sodium. For example, if the original version of a canned soup contained 800 milligrams of sodium per serving, the "reduced" version could contain up to 600 milligrams of sodium, or one-fourth of the recommended total for the day.

Source

The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide RL. Duyff, Minneapolis: Chronimed , 1998

Links

• How to eat if you have high blood pressure
• To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator http://www.navigator.tufts.edu