What is recommended sodium intake

A key part of the Pritikin ICR program is helping patients minimize the negative effects that sodium has on their heart health by learning out to add flavor without the saltshaker. Through cooking school classes, tasty recipes, and live educational workshops, patients effectively learn how to significantly reduce their sodium intake. Pritikin applauds the FDAs efforts to impact the US food supply as a first step towards making a lower sodium intake achievable and encourage ongoing effort towards and optimal intake of no more than 1, mg of sodium per day.

Ready to offer Pritikin ICR to your cardiac rehab patients, or to locate the Pritikin program nearest you? Recommended sodium intake The average American consumes 3, mg of sodium per day. Is too much sodium really that bad? So how can you tell which foods are high in sodium? Read food labels.

The Nutrition Facts label found on most packaged and processed foods lists the amount of sodium in each serving. It also lists whether the ingredients include salt or sodium-containing compounds, such as:.

Try to avoid products with more than mg of sodium per serving. And be sure you know how many servings are in a package — that information is also on the Nutrition Facts label. The supermarket is full of foods labeled reduced sodium or light in sodium. But don't assume that means they're low in sodium. It's only lower in sodium compared with regular chicken noodle soup, which has more than mg of sodium in a cup.

Salt substitute is made by replacing some or all the sodium with potassium, magnesium or another mineral. To achieve that familiar salty taste, you may use too much of the substitute — and get too much sodium.

The potassium in some salt substitutes may be a problem for some people. Too much potassium can be harmful for people with kidney problems or who take medicines that cause potassium retention, such as ones used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.

Your taste for salt is acquired, so you can learn to enjoy less. Decrease your use of salt gradually and your taste buds will adjust. Consider using salt-free seasonings to help with the transition. After a few weeks of cutting back on salt, you probably won't miss it, and some foods may even taste too salty.

Then throw away the saltshaker. As you use less salt, your preference for it diminishes, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the food itself, with heart-healthy benefits. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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You and your family can also take steps to ease into reducing the amount of salt—and therefore, sodium—you eat. The recommended limit for sodium is 2, milligrams mg per day for people 14 years and older.

American Heart Association Cookbooks. Nutrition Basics. Healthy For Good: Spanish Infographics. What should my daily sodium intake be? Is there such a thing as eating too little sodium? Last Reviewed: May 23, First Name required First Name Required. Last Name required Last Name Required. Email required Email Required.