It adds flavor to your food, but are you eating too much salt?
Dietary guidelines say adults shouldn’t have more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.
But according to the FDA, 90% of Americans are eating more sodium than the recommended amount!
The average American consumes 3,400 milligrams a day, and too much sodium could be harming your health.
“Excessive amounts of salt may increase their risk for high blood pressure,” said Alessandra Stasnopolis, a registered dietician with Baylor Scott & White Health.
More than 4 in 10 Americans have high blood pressure and it can up your risk for heart disease, stroke, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, kidney disease, and Meniere’s disease.
The World Health Organization says 1.89 million deaths each year are linked to too much sodium.
The biggest high-sodium culprits are processed or convenience foods.
“Those foods are going to tend to have more salt, because salt helps preserve those foods,” said Stasnopolis.
Some surprising sources of sodium are soups, breads, condiments, meat, and salad dressings.
In fact, a slice of cheese can have the same amount of sodium as an ounce of potato chips.
To lower your salt intake, try to eat mostly fresh, minimally processed foods. Cut back on high-sodium foods like deli meats, pizza, burritos, and sandwiches. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to season your food. And read your food labels.
“It’s just important to check that label before you grab something off the shelf,” explained Stasnopolis.
And is Himalayan salt any better for you? A teaspoon of regular table salt contains about 2,300 milligrams of sodium, a teaspoon of Himalayan salt contains 2,200 milligrams.
The FDA says about 70% of the sodium you eat comes from processed and restaurant foods. The agency is working closely with manufacturers to have them lower sodium amounts across a wide range of foods.