Sodium in Our Diet

Excessive sodium consumption raises blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the nation's first and fourth leading causes of death. Approximately nine of 10 persons in the United States consume more sodium than recommended.

Recommended daily sodium consumption for all persons is <2,300 mg, and is 1,500 mg for specific groups, including non-Hispanic blacks, persons aged ≥51 years, and persons with hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.

The leading sources of overall sodium consumption are bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches such as cheeseburgers, cheese, pasta mixed dishes such as spaghetti with meat sauce, meat mixed dishes such as meatloaf with tomato sauce, and savory snacks like chips and pretzels. Together, these account for more than 40% of sodium consumption. The category of food that contributes the most sodium? The surprising answer is bread. It ‘s not that bread is so salty; it’s just that we eat so much of it.

Two thirds of dietary sodium from foods and drinks comes from supermarkets, convenience stores, or other stores. One fourth comes from restaurant food, which has the highest per-calorie dietary sodium.

Reducing the sodium content of the 10 leading sources by one fourth would reduce total dietary sodium by more than 10%. This could prevent an estimated 28,000 deaths and $7 billion in health-care expenditures annually. Thirty-one percent of adults in the United States have hypertension, and fewer than half of them have their blood pressure under control.

More details this week's MMWR from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.