Americans Consume Too Much Sodium - The FDA's New Sodium Reduction Strategy
November 13, 2022
Categories: Nutrition & Diet
The strategy is to reduce sodium by 12% in 2.5 years
The incidence of diet-related chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the United States remains at an alarming number in the population. These preventable conditions can be avoided through diet adjustments, like limiting certain nutrients that are known to be major contributing factors to these chronic conditions. While we are still present in the COVID-19 pandemic, this era has proved how important nutrition and overall health play a crucial role in reducing risks of severe complications from this virus.
Sodium is one specific nutrient that has strong evidence to support if eaten in excess, it increases your risk for developing high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and stroke. The FDA recently issued a voluntary guidance on reducing the amount of sodium in processed and packaged foods. This guidance targets food manufacturers, chain restaurants and food service operators that utilize certain categories of prepared foods. The recommended daily limit for sodium is 2,300 mg in the general population.
The plan: reduce sodium by 12% in 2.5 years
The daily average intake for adults is 3,400 mg, meaning an additional 50% of sodium is consumed. Packaged, processed, and restaurant foods make up about 70% of the sodium we eat. Even wanting to make a diet change by reducing the amount of salt in our diets, the food industry makes it hard.
With this new guidance from the FDA, changing the overall food supply will work to decrease the average American intake of sodium from 3,400 mg to 3,000 mg, making great strides to address this public health issue. Better access to lower sodium options on the shelves will make it easier for some consumers to reduce their intake without even knowing it. With these new guidelines in place, the daily average sodium intake should be reduced by 12% over the next 2.5 years.
Does this mean we can rely on these new guidelines to make all the necessary changes for our diets? Individual actions are still needed to meet the recommendations! The average of 3,000 mg per day is still well over the recommended amount of 2,300 mg for the general population and those with hypertension and heart disease are advised to consume less than 1,500 mg per day. Things you can do to act now: learn how to understand food labels; watch your portion sizes and amounts; learn the high sodium food lists; pay attention when eating out; meet with a Registered Dietitian to help you with all these things. Everyone is to be part of the solution.