Americans consume an average of 3,375 milligrams of sodium (salt) a day, which is far beyond the 2,300 milligrams, or roughly one teaspoon, recommended by the federal government.

However, efforts are being made to curb this increased sodium intake: According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington nutrition advocacy group, salt might be the single deadliest ingredient in the food supply. The executive director of the group explained that salt in Americans’ diets has turned hearts and arteries into ticking time bombs, which explode in tens of thousands of Americans every year. About 65 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure--with excess salt consumption being a major culprit--increasing the risk of:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Kidney disease
• Congestive heart failure

Moreover, CSPI is suing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an attempt to motivate the government to crack down on the sodium content in food. The suit calls on the FDA to change salt’s current status from “generally recognized as safe” to “food additive,” providing the agency more regulatory power to limit salt in processed foods.

Yet while processed foods contain excessive amounts of salt, the numbers are just as bad, if not worse, concerning restaurants: Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey frozen dinner contains 5,410 milligrams of sodium, while Denny’s Lumberjack Slam Breakfast has 4,462 milligrams in it.

Thus, the key, according to the CSPI’s executive director, is requiring manufacturers and restaurants to use less salt.

Previous CSPI Feats

This salt content case is not the first time the CSPI has tried to make a difference in America’s health and nutrition. For example:

• The group was the driving influence behind pressuring the federal government to require nutrition fact panels on food products.

• It’s demonizing of trans fats (which potentially increase the risk of coronary heart disease) prompted the FDA to include the ingredient on nutrition labels and forced the food industry to seek alternatives.

• CSPI is most widely known for showing that America’s favorite meals and snacks (i.e. ice cream, pizza, movie popcorn, etc.) are loaded with fat and calories.

Critics argue that minimizing the amount of sodium in products will fail, as consumers certainly won’t settle for inferior taste. In addition, industry officials explain the food industry has to add salt to some products, such as deli meat, to ensure food safety.

Newsday February 27, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

If you read this newsletter regularly, you're familiar with the activities of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). They're a nutritional lobbying group that stays in the public eye by informing and sometimes blasting holes in the practices food manufacturers and government agencies use to justify the "voodoo" science that can often harm your health. What the group is calling attention to--the excessive salt content found in processed and restaurant foods--is the source of about 75 percent of the salt Americans consume daily. Generally, cutting out these processed foods from your diet, which should be done for a number of health reasons, would drastically reduce the amount of salt you consume. However, it is important to note that salt is not as bad as we have constantly been told. In fact, most people are actually harmed by true low-salt diets. And while restricting salt may indeed be beneficial in some instances, others will easily consume a healthy amount of salt if they follow a nutritious diet based on my Total Health Program. Obtain “Real Salt” It is important to realize that you don't want to use your usual, conventional table salt and instead should obtain "real salt." What’s the difference? Conventional salt is dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit--this amount of heat changes the chemical structure of the salt. Conventional processing adds harmful additives and chemicals to salt. When you do obtain "real salt," you can use it liberally on your greens, such as kale, to decrease any bitter taste. Salt Precautions Please be aware that not everyone should use salt. The best index I have found to determine if one needs salt is to look at a fasting chemistry profile, which shows the serum sodium level, from a good reference lab. The sodium level should be 139 with an ideal range of 136 to 142. If it is much lower, you probably need salt; if it is higher, you probably want to restrict salt intake. Additionally, salt is sodium chloride so you will also want to look at your chloride level. The ideal is 102, with a range of 99 to 105. Just like sodium, lower levels suggest one should add salt and higher levels suggest you should restrict its use. Note: The sodium and chloride levels on a serum test are not a reliable indicator (in my experience) because the body keeps them fairly even no matter what. Also, if you seek to avoid salt, you can utilize lemon, garlic and other fresh herbs, as they are optimal replacements that give your food added flavor and a healthy kick. Related Articles: Take the Latest Low Sodium Advice With a Grain of Salt America's Processed Food Diet Influences Immigrants' Eating Your Family Could be Eating Organic Food for the Same Price as Processed Foods -- or Less Beware of Who You Believe About Health Information Is the Center for Science in the Public Interest Really Looking out for the Public?