It can be hidden in bread, pizza, soup and other packaged foods. Now, advice to watch out for salt is coming with a more specific reason.
A new report from the National Academies of Science has tied lowering sodium intake to a reduced risk of heart disease.
The recommended limit of salt for American adults is 2,300mg daily - but the new guidelines suggest cutting this by almost half down to 1,500mg.
The authors hope the updated recommendations serve as a guide for policymakers to create legislation that will force restaurants to show the sodium amounts in their meals and even regulate how much salt food manufacturers put into products.
A new report from the National Academies of Science suggests lowering the recommended limit of salt for US adults from no more than 2,300mg daily to 1,500mg daily (file image)
Several studies have linked excess sodium intake with an increased risk of heart disease, the number one killer worldwide.
Salt causes the body to retain water and, when a person has too much salt, the extra water causes blood pressure to rise.
Blood pressure that is too high puts strain on organs including the brain, the kidneys and the heart, which can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Previously, the 2,300mg recommended limit was based on an 'upper intake level', a threshold experts use to indicate a variety of potential bad effects.
The current recommend limit of salt is no more than 2,300mg a day for US adults.
New guidelines suggest cutting this down to no more than 1,500mg daily.
Salt is often hidden in bread, pizza, soup and other packaged foods:
1) Kellogg’s
