Cut your salt intake, says CDC

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults in general should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but more than two of three population groups should include no more than 1,500mg per day, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They include people with high-blood pressure, blacks and those over 40 years old.
Data used was from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and appeared in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study showed the average intake of sodium for persons in the U.S. aged 2 and older was 3,436mg per day.

"It’s important for people to eat less salt," said Dr. Darwin R. Labarthe, M.D., Ph.D., director of the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. "People who adopt a heart healthy pattern that includes a diet low in sodium and rich in potassium and calcium can improve their blood pressure.” He added the CDC, along with other government agencies such as the FDA, would work with food manufacturers and chain restaurants to reduce sodium levels in the food supply.

CDC report  www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/59128.aspx