Americans Consuming Far too Much Sodium

Despite counseling by physicians, Americans still consume far too much sodium, putting them at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Although people who already have high blood pressure generally consume less sodium than others, their average daily intake is still far higher than recommended levels, says Umed Ajani, an epidemiologist with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Promotion.

Ajani''s conclusions come after he analyzed data from 1999 and 2000 of more than 4,000 Americans who were part of a regular government health survey - and found 42 percent of them had high blood pressure, also known as "hypertension." People with high blood pressure took in 3,330 milligrams of sodium a day, while those without hypertension consumed 3,600 milligrams a day, far more than the 2,400-milligram maximum recommended by the American Heart Association and other groups.

"It seems like we need to do a little bit more than just advising," says Ajani, who calls for more public health and private physician efforts to educate consumers on the selection, preparation and use of processed and fast foods.

A widespread misconception exists that salt content and sodium content are synonymous, and people may need to be told that foods that do not taste salty can still contain high levels of sodium. For example, a doughnut can have as much as 257 milligrams of sodium, about 10 percent of the recommended daily limit. Table salt is sodium chloride, but other chemicals contain sodium, such as monosodium glutamate, baking soda, and sodium benzoate, which are used in foods as flavorings or preservatives.

"People will have to be motivated for behavioral change, providers will have to take greater responsibility for educating and monitoring patients and organizations will need to develop and provide better and more effective tools and interventions," Ajani says.