Decreasing the amount of sodium you eat can make a big improvement in your health, especially your blood pressure. 75% of American’s sodium intake isn’t from our table salt shaker, it’s from processed and restaurant foods! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a draft of sodium-reduction targets for the food industry, encouraging food companies to voluntarily reduce the sodium content in their products. To understand the difference between sodium and salt, salt contains 40% sodium. Each teaspoon of salt provides 2,000 mg of sodium!

Unless you’ve been directed otherwise, a good goal is not to exceed 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and keeping closer to 1,500 milligrams per day is ideal. Cooking at home, eating whole foods, and checking food labels are great ways to monitor sodium intake. American Heart Association also recommends limiting the “Salty Six” in our diet.

Lowering sodium intake by 400 milligrams per day can be beneficial to your health! Reducing blood pressure contributes to whole body health. By lowering blood pressure you also improve kidney health, reduce risk of heart problems, lessen the chance of stroke, and improve vision health! -HM