Where sodium hides and how to limit it

On average, Americans consume about 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day. That's more than twice the 1,500 mg maximum recommended for people 40 and older, African-Americans, and anyone with high blood pressure—groups that together represent about 70 percent of adults in the U.S. It's even well above the maximum recommended for everyone else: 2,300 mg, the amount in about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Some sodium is needed to help regulate fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and contract muscles, but too much can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and especially strokes. Excess sodium may also boost the risk of asthma, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and stomach cancer.

Little of the sodium we consume arrives via salt shakers. About 75 percent comes from restaurant foods or processed foods, where it enhances flavor, stabilizes ingredients, or acts as a preservative. But the marketplace may be changing: Lower-sodium foods and drinks are a major food trend for 2010, according to market-research publisher Packaged Facts, and several food companies have already started to cut sodium from some products.

Kraft, for example, announced its intention to reduce sodium in its North American line by an average of 10 percent over the next two years. And Heinz has announced that it will introduce its first recipe change in almost 40 years, lowering its ketchup's sodium from 190 mg per serving to 160 mg.

Meanwhile, there's still a lot of sodium in prepared foods. The product information below shows how easy it is to get too much.

What you can do

To limit sodium, read labels. Your tongue isn't always an accurate guide to sodium content. We easily found alternatives to many of the pictured foods with at least 100 mg less sodium per serving. Look for foods labeled "sodium free" (less than 5 mg per serving), "very low sodium" (35 mg or less), or "low sodium" (140 mg or less). Also:

• Substitute herbs, spices, lemon, or vinegar for salt. Research suggests that a craving for salt usually lessens after a few months of cutting back.
• Eat fresh poultry, fish, lean meats, and fresh produce rather than processed versions.
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna.
• Try a similar food. Rice-A-Roni Rice Pilaf has 970 mg of sodium per one-third unprepared cup; Near East Wheat Couscous Original Plain has zero.
• When eating out, choose foods without sauce or dressing, or request it on the side.

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