Sodium

Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke , and together these are some of the leading causes of preventable deaths in Georgia.  We spend about 8.5 billion dollars on heart disease healthcare costs alone in Georgia, and some of this could be averted by lowering sodium intake as well as increasing physical activity  and eliminating tobacco use.  

Where is it? Everywhere.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , U.S. Federal Food, Drug and Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), most Americans get more than their daily recommendations of sodium before they ever pick up a saltshaker.

Research has shown that more than 75% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurant foods.

The US dietary guidelines recommend that everyone over the age of 2 should get less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, and some people should limit their sodium to 1,500 milligrams per day.

The groups that should limit their sodium are adults age 50, African Americans, and anyone who has high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease.

So what can we do? Read the label and take a count.

Sodium can be tricky, even foods that appear healthy can have high levels of sodium and once foods have been processed with sodium, it cannot be removed.  

Check out resources and recommendations from the CDC  to learn more controlling sodium intake and review the US dietary guidelines recommendations on sodium.