Elevate Your Health Colorado How much is too much salt?

According to new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, 90 percent of Americans consume too much sodium — or to simplify matters: too much salt.

Most of us consume about two teaspoons of salt per day, which is twice the recommended daily sodium allowance. (Yes, you read that right: two teaspoons is too much salt.)

Meantime, experts from the Institute of Medicine are urging the Food & Drug Administration to lower the standard sodium content in food.

So how much is too much salt? Answering the question is far more complex than pulling out a measuring spoon at the dinner table.

Why salt?

Our bodies require sodium to function. Like a sponge, sodium helps our bodies retain water. “Every system in our body requires some amount of sodium to function correctly,” says J. Acey Albert, MD, board-certified internist and pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “Our bodies are well designed to regulate sodium through the kidneys. When sodium is high, the kidneys excrete the excess in urine.”

Consuming too much salt — more than one teaspoon per day — can exacerbate hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and other complicated medical problems.

On the flip side, one teaspoon may not be an adequate amount of salt for marathoners or triathletes, who need to maintain higher amounts of sodium for peak performance.

Dr. Albert recommends most of us try to keep our sodium intake at or below 2,400 milligrams. A balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat dairy will keep sodium levels in check. Dr. Albert also offers these tips to help make sure you don’t get too much salt in your diet.

Look past the saltshaker. Roughly 77 percent of people’s sodium intake comes from processed foods and restaurant meals. Take a close look at your diet and determine where you can eliminate salt.

“The biggest danger is hidden salt in processed foods,” Dr. Albert says. “Even foods that people think are healthy, like canned green beans, beets, collard greens, and even celery, can have high amounts of sodium.”

Read labels. Check out the sodium content on the label of that jar of sauce or box of cereal in your pantry. Many items are higher in sodium than you may think. Also, remember that sodium shows up in our food in more forms than table salt. “Monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda, and baking powder include sodium,” Dr. Albert says. 

Beware of restaurant food. Restaurant portions tend to be larger and loaded with salt from sauces or the preparation process. Many restaurants today list nutritional facts on their online menus. Decide on a low-sodium option before you dine out, or avoid restaurants altogether.

When in doubt, take it out. Buy fresh or low-sodium foods and condiments, eliminate added salt when cooking. (Ask restaurant chefs to do the same.) Substitute salt with fresh or dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruits, and fruit juices to add kick to your meals. [More salt substitutes.]

Endurance athletes: Get your salt. Not everyone needs to cut salt from his or her diet. If you compete in events such as the Rocky Mountain Ultra Regional Endurance Series, or Ride the Rockies, you might need to supplement sodium before, during, and after exercise. Sodium is lost in sweat, so endurance athletes need electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and calcium) and the right diet for peak performance.

“These athletes can lose up to five grams of sodium in the course of a race,” Dr. Albert says. “Low sodium levels can result in nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, or even death. Any athlete who is exercising for more than two hours should be drinking an electrolyte solution.”

For more tips on regulating salt in your diet, visit kp.org.