CDC Says We Eat Too Much Salt

Nine in 10 adults consume too much sodium, with the majority coming from the most 'commonly eaten foods.'

June 25, 2010

ATLANTA - Less than 10 percent of U.S. adults limit their daily sodium intake to recommended levels, according to a new report published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention??s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to the report, U.S. adults consume an average of 3,466 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, which is more than twice the current recommended limit for most Americans. Grains provide 36.9 percent of this total, followed by dishes containing meat, poultry, and fish (27.9 percent). These two categories combined account for almost two-thirds of the daily sodium intake for Americans.

An estimated 77 percent of dietary sodium comes from processed and restaurant foods. Many of these foods, such as breads and cookies, may not even taste salty.

"Sodium has become so pervasive in our food supply that it's difficult for the vast majority of Americans to stay within recommended limits," said Janelle Peralez Gunn, public health analyst with CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and lead author of the report. "Public health professionals, together with food manufacturers, retailers and health care providers, must take action now to help support people's efforts to reduce their sodium consumption."

For more information about sodium, visit cdc.gov/salt.

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