Foods4BetterHealth Reports on New Recommendations for Daily Sodium Intake
Boston, MA (PRWEB) July 02, 2013 -- Foods4BetterHealth.com, a new food and nutrition web site that believes in using food to heal and prevent disease and illness and help you live a long, happy life, is reporting on the new findings by the Institute of Medicine that say that further reducing sodium intake below the recommended value of 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day is not supported with scientific evidence.
As Foods4BetterHealth notes (http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/sodium-intake-take-the-latest-study-with-a-grain-of-salt-2671), the study found that Americans do not need to reduce their sodium intake below the current recommendation of 2,300 mg. However, most Americans currently consume over 3,400 mg of sodium a day—well over the recommended limit. Therefore, based on the current daily intakes, Americans actually do have to reduce their sodium intake. (Source: Kolata, G., “No Benefit Seen in Sharp Limits on Salt in Diet,” The New York Times web site; http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?src=rechp&_r=0, last accessed June 24, 2013.)
As the article “Sodium Intake: Take the Latest Study with a Grain of Salt,” notes, the New York Times reported on the Institute of Medicine’s findings, but inaccurately made it sound as if Americans do not need to reduce their sodium intake at all. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, the current recommended intake is much too high, and Americans should aim for 1,500 mg of sodium a day. (Source: “Usual sodium intakes compared with current dietary guidelines — United States, 2005-2008,” MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. October 2011; 60(41): 1,413-7.)
The report continues, stating that lowering sodium to below 2,300 mg a day will benefit the health of Americans, as high sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. The typical Western diet is often filled with fast-food—items that are high in salt and sodium.
Foods4BetterHealth concludes by saying that if Americans were to lower their sodium intake to meet the current recommended level, it would drastically impact their health. (Source: “The new salt controversy,” Harvard School of Public Health web site; http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/the-new-salt-controversy/, last accessed June 24, 2013.)
Foods4BetterHealth.com, created by Doctors Health Press, is a food news and health web site, offering readers information about the latest food controversies, exclusive expert advice, and health tips to ward off illness, prevent disease, and live a long, healthy life. For more information, visit foods4betterhealth.com.
Adrian Newman, Foods4BetterHealth, http://www.foods4betterhealth.com, 1-866-744-3579, [email protected]
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