| ■ Americans Need to Cut Salt Intake, Heart Experts Say | 2011.01.13 |
| Steps must be taken to reduce Americans' sodium (salt) consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams per day, says an American Heart Association advisory issued Thursday. The call to action is directed at the public, health professionals, the food industry and government. The advisory, published in the journal Circulation, says that consuming more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day can lead to elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. Currently, daily sodium consumption in the United States is more than two times higher than the recommended upper limit of 1,500 mg, with packaged, processed and restaurant foods accounting for 77 percent of that consumption, according to the AHA. "Even a modest decline in intake -- say 400 mg per day -- would produce benefits that are substantial and warrant implementation," wrote the advisory authors. |