Update - Federal sodium limits

on Mar 21st, 2008Update - Federal sodium limits

It was last November that the AMA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest urged the Food and Drug Administration to consider limiting our sodium intake by requiring food companies to use less salt. The FDA is now formally considering the proposal, although it could be at least one year before a decision is reached.

The average American consumes 50% more sodium than the recommended daily allowance; that translates into as much as 1 1/2 teaspoons too much salt. Medical and consumer groups point to sodium’s role in hypertension and, by extension, heart disease and say 150,000 deaths related to cardiovascular disease could be prevented annually by cutting sodium intake by half.

There are excellent tips for reducing sodium here at MSNBC. Also see my original story, linked below, and my recipe for lower-sodium taco seasoning. Meantime these foods to watch, also from MSNBC, can be right-click saved for easy reference.