High sodium intake can elevate your blood pressure, increasing your risk for heart attack and stroke. A high intake of sodium may also increase your risk for stomach cancer and osteoporosis, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. For these reasons, health experts recommend limiting daily sodium intake.
Maximum Intake
Current dietary guidelines suggest a maximum daily sodium intake of 2,300 mg, or about 1 tsp. of salt. However, almost 70 percent of American adults have high blood pressure or a high risk of developing high blood pressure and should limit their sodium intake even more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reduced Intake
Individuals with hypertension or a high risk of developing hypertension, including diabetics, adults ages 40 and over, African Americans and people with pre-hypertension, should limit their daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg, or about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt. Because such a high percentage of Americans have a high risk of developing hypertension, experts at the Harvard School of Public Health and the American Heart Association have called for the U.S. government to lower the maximum recommended daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg.
Average Sodium Intake
Unfortunately, average sodium intake in the United States far exceeds recommended limits. The average American consumes more than 3,400 mg of sodium per day, an amount that more than doubles the 1,500 mg recommended by the American Heart Association.
Recommendations
More than two-thirds of the sodium in the average American diet comes from packaged foods and restaurant foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can reduce your sodium intake by limiting your consumption of these foods and by checking nutrition labels on packaged foods and choosing low-sodium or sodium-free products. Emphasize healthy, low-sodium foods in your diet, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Flavor these foods with spices, herbs and citrus rather than salt.
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