Eating a Bit Less Salt Can Be a Big Health Boon

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Eating a Bit Less Salt Can Be a Big Health Boon

By Tiffany Sharples

"Over the years, Americans have become inured to salt. Most people have no idea how much salt they consume — on average, about 9 to 12 g (or 3,600 to 4,800 mg of sodium) per person per day, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). That's twice the amount recommended by the government.

Our Plates Runneth Over

In the past four decades, Americans' salt consumption has risen 50%, mostly as a result of eating more processed foods and more food prepared in restaurants. 'Over time, we have adapted our taste buds and adapted our bodies to crave much, much higher levels of salt than we require to function,' says Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco."

From Denny: This is a frightening thought that we have adapted ourselves to eat more salt than we need to function well. This article is featured in this week's edition of Time magazine.