Help Limit America's Sodium Intake

  • by: Consumers Union
  • recipient: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
We eat, on average, 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day -- 1,200 mg more than the recommended limit of 2,300 mg, which is about a teaspoon of salt. This excessive sodium consumption has been linked to an increased risk of hypertension, which can lead to diseases like stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and kidney disease.

The simple solution would be for Americans to eat less salt -- but that's not as easy as it sounds. Most of the sodium we eat comes from processed and restaurant foods, so even health-conscious people trying to eat less sodium can have a difficult time knowing what to buy. Adding to the confusion, foods you might not expect -- like pancake mix, cereal and bagels -- can be high in sodium.

Tell the FDA and FSIS to support policies to limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day and establish a National Nutrition Database to help measure and track progress in sodium reduction.
Dear FDA and USDA,

We eat a lot of salt, and we seem to be in a vicious 'salt cycle.' As processed foods get saltier and saltier, our taste for salt grows and then processed food makers up the ante with even more salt. It has to stop, and that means enforceable guidelines that apply to all processed foods. A gradual reduction in sodium content across the board will likely cause a change in consumers' strong preference for salty foods while enabling food processors to compete fairly.

Eating too much salt contributes to heart disease and stroke, and also independently affects the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. Most of us know that, but we still eat far more salt than we should.

[Your comments will be inserted here.]

On average, individuals consume 3,500 milligrams of sodium, 1,200 more than the recommended limit of 2,300 mg, which is the equivalent of about a teaspoon of table salt. In fact, the 2,300 mg limit is actually too high -- many people (especially those with a predisposition to hypertension) should really only be consuming about 1,500 mg. But most of this sodium does not come from the saltshaker. Instead, an estimated 95% of dietary sodium consumed comes directly from processed and restaurant foods. As a result, even health-conscious consumers attempting to eat less sodium would have a difficult time knowing how to do so.

I believe that if sodium intake levels are to be significantly reduced, FDA and FSIS must develop and implement policies intended to reach the Healthy People 2020 goal of limiting intake to 2,300 mg or less per day. FDA/FSIS should support national, industry-wide efforts to set ambitious targets to reduce sodium in processed and restaurant foods, including the National Salt Reduction Initiative.

Government participation in this particular area would give consumers more choice. More salt can always be added to food, but it cannot be taken out. Consumers would always be free to add more salt to the products they buy, should they choose to do so. A study has shown that on average, however, participants added back less than 20 percent of the sodium removed from the food when allowed unlimited use of salt shakers.

In addition, I urge the FDA to establish a National Nutrition Database to help measure and track progress in sodium reduction, and provide better nutrition information for consumers and policymakers.

The health and financial benefits of sodium intake reduction would be significant. As noted in the FDA/FSIS notice, reducing average intake levels to 2,300 mg/day would potentially result in 11 million fewer cases of hypertension, leading to an annual savings of $18 billion in health care costs. Reducing the limit even further to 1,500 mg/day is ideal, since those with a predisposition to hypertension should really only consume 1,500 mg/day.

Once again, please develop policies to reach limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day and establish a National Nutrition Database to measure and track progress in sodium reduction. Thank you.
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