Shake your salt habit

Salt’s days as a four-letter word may finally have arrived.

As Americans consume more and more of the grainy white stuff, federal regulators have begun urging food manufacturers to cut back on the amount of sodium they add to everything from breakfast cereals to soups.

Plans are still under way, but the idea is that manufacturers would reduce the amount so gradually consumers would barely notice the difference. The final limits have not yet been determined.

Dr. Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says that reducing the salt added in food processing and restaurant food is a good idea.  “It will make it easier for Americans to lower their salt intake.”

The average American eats about 1.5 teaspoons of salt a day, more than twice the recommended limit.

“Lowering our salt intake is important to control blood pressure,” Dr. Carson said. “As Americans age and become more ethnically diverse, it becomes even more important to keep the salt under control.”

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/nutrition to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in nutrition.

Media Contact: Kristen Holland Shear

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