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Should You Worry About Sodium
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The average American consumes 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium each day. A sensible sodium intake is 3000 mg per day. This equals about one and one-half teaspoons of table salt. Your doctor may recommend even a lower amount for you.
If you have high blood pressure, a valve problem or congestive heart failure, you probably have been advised by your doctor to cut back on your sodium intake. Sodium is the major component of salt. A certain amount of sodium is necessary for your body to work properly. However, Americans consume on average, about two times the sodium they need each day.

This excess sodium may cause you to retain fluid that would normally be eliminated by your kidneys. Instead, this extra fluid increases the amount of fluid circulating in your blood vessels, causing your heart to work harder and your blood pressure to rise. If your heart muscle is already weakened, this extra workload is especially undesirable. When the amount of fluid in your blood vessels reaches a certain point, the excess fluid can seep out into the tissues, causing swelling called edema. Edema most often begins in the ankles and feet.

Medications called diuretics can help decrease the extra fluid, but decreasing your intake of salt is also very important. Sodium is found in most commercially prepared foods and processed meats such as hot dogs and deli meat and dairy products. It is also present in most fast foods.

How do you get started toward the goal of reducing the salt in your diet?
  • Get rid of the salt shaker! One teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2,000 mg of sodium.
  • Read labels. Sodium is present in most commercially prepared foods, processed meats and cheeses, canned soups, vegetables, and tomato sauces. About 50 percent of your daily sodium intake comes from these sources. Remember, many foods are being prepared with low amounts of sodium these days. Look for those products and give them a try.
  • Experiment with new spices that don't add sodium. You might be surprised by how good they taste.
  • Don't get discouraged! It will take time for your taste buds to adjust to the changes, but they will if you give them a chance.
Where the sodium is

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