A high sodium diet isn’t just a problem in the United States — it is a problem around the world! Too much salt can contribute to serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
Technological advancements have helped reduce sodium levels in foods. In the 1960s, salt was used generously in frozen vegetables. Better freezing techniques have reduced the amount of sodium in frozen vegetables by more than seventy-five percent. That doesn’t mean all frozen veggies are safe and healthy — check the sodium content in sauces.
Around the world, governments are making an effort to reduce salt consumption.
Great Britain is looking to reduce salt consumption by one third by 2010. Television ads encourage shoppers to check labels and avoid high-sodium choices. In 2008, the government will be checking on manufacturers’ attempts to meet new reduced-sodium guidelines for certain foods.
Finland is fighting sodium at the store: foods that are high in salt have a “high salt” label. At a glance, shoppers can see which items are dangerously high in sodium. Over the last thirty years, sodium intake has decreased by forty percent. The number of strokes has dropped severely.
The World Health Organization is calling for worldwide sodium reduction in processed foods and consumer education on how to cut the salt. Salt isn’t the only major health threat out there, but it is a threat that can be addressed with a combination of food manufacturer action and consumer education.
So what is a healthy amount of sodium in an average person’s diet? The Institute of Medicine says that a person needs just 1500 milligrams of sodium per day (a little less for older adults) to regulate the body’s fluid balance. Some government nutrition guidelines set a more generous upper limit — 2000 milligrams of sodium or more per day.