Tuesday Nutrition Topic : How much salt do we need?

Tuesday Nutrition Topic : How much salt do we need?

[youtube_sc url=” http://youtu.be/GCMXwEe6eA0″]

A question from Brenda in St Louis is “How much salt do I need?”

The USDA and the World Health Organization recommend a daily sodium intake of about 2,4000 mg and no more than 1,500 mg for people who have a family history of hypertension. One teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium. The average adult American consumes nearly 4,000 mg of sodium each day.

While excessive salt intake is not the only reason for high blood pressure, it is a significant contributing factor. A recent study reports that high salt diets cause 150,000 premature deaths a year in the United States.

Restaurant foods, fast foods and processed, packaged junk  foods contribute the majority of sodium in our diets. Half a cup of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup has 890 mg of sodium.

Consider using a high quality sea salt in limited quantities!