Most Americans Should Consume Less Sodium
(1,500 mg/day or less)

Most of the sodium we consume is in the form of salt, and the vast majority of sodium we consume is in processed and restaurant foods. Too much sodium is bad for your health. It can increase your blood pressure and your risk for a heart attack and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the first and third killers of men and women in the United States each year.

Current dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that adults in general should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. At the same time, consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables. However, if you are in the following population groups, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, and meet the potassium recommendation (4,700 mg/day) with food.

You are 51 years of age or older.
You are African American.
You have high blood pressure.
You have diabetes.
You have chronic kidney disease.

The 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the U.S. population overall and the majority of adults. Nearly everyone benefits from reduced sodium consumption. Eating less sodium can help prevent, or control, high blood pressure.

Most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurants foods. Only a small amount comes from salt added during cooking and from being added at the table, and most Americans have already exceeded their daily limit of sodium before cooking or adding salt at the table. You can find out how much sodium you are eating by checking the labels on food products and adding up the milligrams of sodium. If at a restaurant, ask for nutritional information facts that include sodium.

Most sodium comes from processed and restaurant foods. The pie chart shows Processed and Restaurant Foods portion at 77%; Naturally Occurring, 12%; While eating, 6%; and Home Cooking, 5%.

Source: Mattes, RD, Donnelly, D. Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 1991;10(4):383–393.

Choose a Heart-Healthy Diet

The DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a simple heart healthy diet that can help prevent or lower high blood pressure.

This diet is LOW in sodium, cholesterol, saturated and total fat, and HIGH in fruits and vegetables, fiber, potassium, and low-fat dairy products.

Making other lifestyle changes, like getting more physical activity, while on the DASH eating plan gives you the biggest benefits. Llearn more about the DASH Eating Plan.

CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Sodium

What You Can Do

To reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke—

Know your recommended limits for daily sodium intake.
Choose foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Read the nutrition label of the foods you purchase.
Ask for foods with no or low salt at restaurants.

Resources

Sodium Fact Sheet [PDF-435K]
Institute of Medicine Activity—Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake (IOM report coming soon!)
A committee has been convened by the Institute of Medicine to review and make recommendations about various ways that could be used to reduce dietary sodium intake to the recommended levels in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The study is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Podcasts

A Cup of Health with CDC—Living a Less Salty Life
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A diet high in sodium, or salt, can raise blood pressure. Dr. Darwin Labarthe discusses the importance of lowering your salt intake in order to minimize the risk of developing hypertension.
Date released: 3/31/09
A Minute of Health with CDC—Living a Less Salty Life
A diet high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. This broadcast discusses how people can improve their health by becoming aware of the salt content in their food.
Date released: 3/31/09