The Dangers of Too Much Salt (Sodium) in Your Diet

Article by Peter Gordon, Personal Trainer & Founder of Kooyah Fitness in Washington, DC.

http://www.kooyahfitness.com/

Salt has a very obvious taste. You can taste it on fries, see it on pretzels.

The problem is the salt that you don’t see. Its abundant in things like canned soups, restaurant meals, spaghetti sauce, frozen pizzas….. the list goes on and on. But what are the health risks associated with too much salt. Doctors for years have stated that is bad for your heart, can cause hypertension, problems with your kidneys, and also leads to adding water weight.

But what is the ideal salt intake for the average adult on a daily basis? We need a small amount of sodium to keep our muscles working and our nerves sending messages throughout the body. But the amount of sodium we actually need is really tiny: about 500 milligrams, or less than a quarter teaspoon of salt. A little bit goes a long way.

But more realistic dietary guidelines in the United States and elsewhere recommend that healthy adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. That’s about a teaspoonful of salt.

Kids ages 9 to 13 should eat no more than 1,500 to 2,200 mg of sodium a day. Younger kids should get even less.

So when you order that salad, before you add that italian dressing, just remember to take a long look at the serving size. It will shock you. It often has 380 mg of sodium in 2 tablespoons, and this is the FAT FREE kind. By the way who uses only 2 tablespoons of salad dressing .

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