9 Need-to-Know Facts About Salt

even if you don't shake salt on your food, chances are, you're still eating far too much of it. Most of the sodium Americans consume comes from processed and restaurant foods — like sliced bread — meaning that the average American currently consumes about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the Institutes of Medicine urges limiting that number to between 1,500 and 2,300 — less if you're at risk for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

The first step to cutting back — way back — on your sodium is to cut through the many popular misconceptions about salt. Read these surprising facts to improve your salt IQ and your overall health.

Salt Lurks in Unsuspected Places
2 / 10 Salt Lurks in Unsuspected Places
It may surprise you how many sneaky sodium bombs you eat every day. "The patients I work with often recognize the obvious sources of sodium in their diet — frozen food entrees, processed snack foods, luncheon meats, canned soups, and cheeses — but overlook some of the other less obvious sources of sodium," Massey says. These include restaurant foods; prepared pasta sauces, which may contain as much as 900 mg sodium in a half-cup; cereals, including some targeted for children that contain 200 to 300 mg sodium per cup; instant bread and muffin mixes; cottage cheese, which can have as much as 400 mg per half-cup; and condiments such as ketchup, which has 190 mg of sodium per tablespoon.

You Need Less Salt Than You Think
3 / 10 You Need Less Salt Than You Think
Although eating the recommended amount of sodium sounds simple, in reality it’s a tiny daily allowance. “Just one teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium,” says Alison Massey, RD, a registered dietitian at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “Americans age 51 and older, African-Americans, and those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease may need to limit their sodium intake even further, to 1,500 mg daily, or the equivalent of less than 1/2 teaspoon.” Because salt intake so easily adds up, avoid adding it to foods or tossing it in boiling water before you boil pasta or vegetables — you’ll find that the food will turn out fine without the added salt.

Salt Can Lead to Heart Health Problems
4 / 10 Salt Can Lead to Heart Health Problems
Most people know that sodium can send your blood pressure soaring, but a too-salty diet over time can also lead to other health problems. “In a diet high in sodium, your kidneys release more water, increasing the volume of blood your heart pumps out second by second,” says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You, a nutrition consulting firm. “This puts stress on your heart, as it has to work even harder to deliver fresh blood to your organs.” If you know you have an elevated risk for heart disease, it’s best to limit your sodium intake as much as possible.

Salt Can Harm Your Nervous System
5 / 10 Salt Can Harm Your Nervous System
Although some sodium is essential for nerve health, overloading your system with salt can have serious consequences. “Sodium plays a leading role in sending nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body,” Batayneh says. “In order for the nervous system to function properly, it’s necessary to maintain a proper balance of sodium and potassium, but too much sodium can disturb normal nerve functions.” A study of 12,000 adults published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that maintaining a diet with equal parts sodium and potassium can actually reduce risk for some diseases. Researchers found that simply cutting back on sodium-rich processed foods and eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was usually enough to balance the mineral levels for optimum health.

Sea Salt Isn't a Healthier Alternative
6 / 10 Sea Salt Isn't a Healthier Alternative
A recent American Heart Association survey of 1,000 American adults found that a majority believed sea salt to be a low-sodium alternative to table salt. The reality is that table salt and sea salt are the same chemically. “Both types of salt contain the same amount of sodium, ounce for ounce: 2,300 mg per teaspoon,” Batayneh says. The difference is how the two salts are produced. “Sea salt and regular salt both come from salted bodies of water — sea salt is produced when salt water evaporates, and regular table salt comes from mining underground salt deposits,” she explains.

Flavor Foods Without Salt
7 / 10 Flavor Foods Without Salt
It’s easy to add rich, robust flavors to your food without using salt. “Many healthy herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, black pepper, and oregano, have wonderful antioxidant and health properties,” says Pamela Schoenfeld, RD, a registered dietitian in private practice in Morristown, N.J., and executive director of the Healthy Nation Coalition. “I also like salts with seaweeds like kelp in them for the iodine they supply.”

Be Wary of Commerical Salt Substitutes
Christy Ellingsworth, The Daily Dish - Low Sodium Recipes & MORE
8 / 10 Be Wary of Commerical Salt Substitutes
Herbs aside, be skeptical of those low-sodium or no-salt salt alternatives that make extravagant health claims. “A shopper may come across salt substitutes that claim to have added health benefits such as antioxidants or additional vitamins, but these claims are not substantiated by the FDA,” warns Holly Herrington, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Instead, it’s best to find other ways to flavor your food.

Maximize Flavor With Gourmet Salts
9 / 10 Maximize Flavor With Gourmet Salts
If you can’t resist a pinch of salt to top off your meal, consider switching to a flavored variety. Although ounce for ounce natural and gourmet salts contain the same amount of sodium as table salt, the unique flavor profile of each kind can help you use less. Plus, because most gourmet salts are unrefined, you’ll skip the additives in table salt (though it’s important to still consume iodine through other sources). “From smoked salt and fleur de sel from France to black Hawaiian lava salt and Murray River pink salt from Australia, flavored salts add different colors, textures, and flavors to dishes,” Batayneh says.

Can Salt Be Healthy?
10 / 10 Can Salt Be Healthy?
Despite all the warnings about salt, salt isn’t all bad. “Some sodium is necessary for human survival,” Batayneh says. “In small amounts, sodium helps maintain the correct balance of fluids in your body, and it’s also a key player in muscle contraction and relaxation.” Sodium also makes the process of sweating possible, allowing you to cool down and avoid dehydration and heat stroke, too. “Consuming too little salt can lead to muscle spasms, irregular heart rhythms, and feelings of weakness,” she adds. So the secret of eating salt for health? In a word, moderation.