Salt Shakers and the American Diet

Salt shakers. Most of us have a couple around the house. Some of us even have a collection. But no matter what their shape or color, almost every dinner table in America has one on top of it.


Americans have developed quite a taste for sodium over the last 30 years. So much in fact that most of us now consume about twice the government’s recommended daily limit of sodium.

Those salt shakers on our tables, however, are only a small part of the sodium intake problem. Over three quarters of our sodium actually comes from the food processing that occurs before it even hits our tables.

This has caused the FDA to take notice. They are now considering a plan to gradually lower the content of sodium in foods citing the prevention of thousands of deaths a year from hypertension and heart disease. One report estimated 44,000 lives could be saved every year by reducing our consumption by a half teaspoon each day.

Officials from the FDA are careful to note that this plan would occur over a 10-year period. They acknowledge that an entire generation has developed tastes geared to our current high salt content and will require time to adapt to a gradual decrease.

Until the time when the first Federal salt limits go into effect, the best way to limit your own intake is to read the nutrition labels. As of now the food industry can add as much salt to a product as they wish as long as they report it on the food label.

To give you an idea of what you are looking to achieve, the current recommended daily intake of sodium for the average healthy individual is about 2300 milligrams. Less if you are in a special population, like hypertensive, some races and older adults.

Once you start looking you may be surprised how much salt is in most every processed food you can buy. Even cookies!

A smarter consumer is a healthier consumer. Take time to educate yourself about what exactly is going into your body and it will pay off in health.