Sodium intake recommendations for adult men and women are set to help reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, or manage current heart disease and risk factors. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to 2010 data made available by the USDA, 34 percent of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. Controlling your sodium intake can help you achieve an optimal blood pressure level and reduce your heart disease risk.
Dietary Guidelines 2010
Sodium recommendations are the same regardless of your gender or total calorie intake, but vary by ethnicity, age, and presence of certain preexisting conditions. According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, general sodium recommendations for adult men and women are less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and 1,500 mg or less per day for those over 50 years old, Africa Americans and those with conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health provides similar sodium recommendations. Medline Plus encourages healthy adults limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day, people with high blood pressure limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day and people with congestive heart failure, kidney disease and liver cirrhosis limit sodium intake even further. However, the American Heart Association recommends that everyone aim to consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
Reference Levels
According to Medline Plus, 1 tsp. of table salt provides 2,300 mg of sodium, the recommended daily limit for most adult Americans. The American Heart Association notes that 1 tsp. of baking soda contains 1,000 mg of sodium. The American Heart Association also helps define claims on food labels regarding sodium content in packaged foods, noting that sodium-free means less than 5 mg of sodium per serving, low-sodium means 140 mg of sodium or less, very low-sodium means 35 mg or less per serving and reduced sodium means 25 percent less sodium than the regular product.
High-Sodium Foods
You should limit high-sodium foods to help achieve your recommended daily sodium intake. Sodium content is listed on food labels of packaged foods. If a food label is unavailable for the food you're consuming, visit the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory website for a detailed listing of nutrition information including sodium content. In general, high-sodium foods include canned soups, canned vegetables, processed foods, many snack foods, tomato sauce and condiments such as soy sauce.
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