Nutrition Frenzy

More than 75 percent of sodium comes from processed foods

Control sodium when cooking, rinse and drain canned foods to wash away salt

Sodium has benefits, like helping to maintain the body’s right balance of fluids,” says my cardiologist Richard Katz, MD, director of the cardiology division of George Washington University. “But ingesting too much salt is a prime cause of increased blood pressure. Higher blood pressure is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes, both of which can be reduced by minimizing salt intake.” Even among healthy adults there is usually room for improvement in the blood pressure department. “If blood pressure is 125/70, it’s better at 120/70,” Katz says. (The American Heart Association [AHA] notes that low blood pressure is relative for each person and is a concern when it drops suddenly. Your doctor can help you reach a blood pressure goal that best enhances your health.)

Various organizations, including the USDA, AHA, and Cooking Light magazine, recommend less than 2,300 milligrams sodium daily (the amount in one teaspoon of table salt) for healthy people. Most Americans consume closer to 4,000 milligrams a day.

The first step to keep sodium under control is to make smart choices at the grocery store. Choose sodium-free, low-sodium, or no-salt-added convenience foods. Sometimes organic versions of packaged foods are lower in sodium than regular and reduced-sodium versions, but not always. Check the label. Reading the Nutrition Facts Panel is an easy way to gauge the amount of sodium present in a food. If an item contains more than 20 percent Daily Value (DV) of a nutrient, a serving of that food is considered to contain a high amount of that nutrient, according to the FDA; five percent DV of a nutrient is deemed low. For sodium, 20 percent DV equals 460 milligrams; five percent DV sodium is just 115 milligrams.

Lower-fat or fat-free products can be higher in sodium than their full-fat counterparts: An ounce of full-fat sharp cheddar cheese has less sodium than one ounce of fat-free cheddar. When fat, a major vehicle for flavor, is removed, other ingredients like sodium may be added to compensate. Still, if you’re trying to limit saturated fat in your diet by enjoying low- and fat-free foods, the trade-off may be worth it if you limit sodium in other areas