ATLANTA, Mar 26, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. residents should eat less salt,
federal health officials said Thursday, and a lower sodium recommendation
applies to almost 70 percent of adults.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that most
Americans consume more than double the amount of their daily recommended level
of sodium.
The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report used data from the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a survey designed to assess the health
and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States.
During 2005-2006, the estimated average intake of sodium for people in the
United States age 2 and older was 3,436 mg per day. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans recommend that adults in general should consume less than 2,300 mg
-- approximately one teaspoon of salt -- per day.
However, the study showed that 69.2 percent of U.S. adults -- people with high
blood pressure, blacks, or anyone age 40 and older -- should aim to consume no
more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
"People need to know their recommended daily sodium limit and take action to
reduce sodium intake," Dr. Darwin R. Labarthe of the CDC's division for heart
disease and stroke prevention said in a statement. "Most of the sodium we eat
comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods."
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