Too Much Sodium!
Reported December 26, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new study reveals Americans consume far too much sodium, even if they already have high blood pressure and despite getting advice from a physician.
Researchers analyzed data collected from a random sample of more than 4,000 Americans who were part of a regular government health survey. They found participants with hypertension consumed 3,330 milligrams of sodium a day, and those without hypertension consumed 3,600 milligrams a day. Both amounts are much higher than the standard recommended 2,400 milligrams maximum.
Researchers found no difference in sodium intake between patients who had their doctors advise them about sodium intake and those who did not.
“It seems like we need to do a little bit more than just advising,” says lead researcher Umed Ajani, M.D., an epidemiologist with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Promotion.
Dr. Ajani says there’s a widespread misconception that salt and sodium content are synonymous, and people may need to be told foods that do not taste salty can still contain high levels of sodium. He calls for more public health and private physician efforts to educate consumers on selection, preparation and use of processed and fast foods.
SOURCE: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2005;29:4,supp