According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most Americans consume too much salt for optimum health.  Almost 145 million adults (69%) are considered medically sensitive to salt, placing them at increased risk for heart disease and strokes.

This at-risk group includes everyone with hypertension (high blood pressure), all African Americans, and everyone age 40 and older.  Dr. Darwin Labarthe says this group should consume no more than two-thirds a teaspoon, or 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day.  This recommendation includes salt from all sources, including the salt in processed and fast foods.

Labarthe, director of the CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, says only about 1 in 10 people in the sensitive group is meeting this recommendation, a statistic he describes as ‘alarming.’  Salt, often identified on food labels as sodium chloride, is the main source of salt intake for most Americans and is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke and heart disease.

The current government-issued recommendation on salt consumption for adults sets a limit of no more than 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of about a teaspoonful.  The average American adult actually consumes closer to 3,500 mg per day.  Many people in the at-risk group consume less salt, about 3,400 mg, but would likely be healthier if they cut that level in half.

American salt consumption levels were derived from a comprehensive health survey of 8,000 participants between 1999 and 2006.  The survey involved dietary surveys, interviews, and medical tests.

Salt consumption is the focus of numerous public health campaigns initiated by such entities as the American Heart Association, the CDC, New York City’s health department, and several dozen others.  These advocacy groups are urging Americans to limit personal salt intake but they are also working with food manufacturers and chain restaurants to reduce salt content in the foods they supply by at least 50% in the next 10 years.