Too much sodium makes your body hold on to extra water, which raises blood pressure. Most adults with high blood pressure benefit from eating less; the AHA suggests no more than 2,300 mg a day, ideally closer to 1,500 mg.
How much is that?
2,300 mg of sodium is about one teaspoon of salt.
Where it comes from
More than 70% of the sodium Americans eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker.
Easy ways to cut back
- Cook at home more.
- Read labels and choose "low sodium" versions.
- Season with herbs, lemon, garlic and spices.
- Rinse canned beans.
See How to track your meals for your blood pressure to find your biggest salt sources.
How FourNumbers helps
Every meal score shows the sodium in what you ate, and Myth or fact? cards give short, sourced answers to common claims about salt.
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