Is Sodium Bad for Your Health?

Over 70% of sodium in a person's diet comes from packaged and prepared foods, not from table salt added to food during cooking or eating, contrary to popular belief. Americans who wish to consume less sodium may have difficulty doing so due to the excessive sodium in the food supply. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States is collaborating with the food industry to implement reasonable sodium reductions across a wide range of foods. You can reduce the amount of sodium you consume daily by reading the Nutrition Facts label, even though some packaged foods already contain sodium when you buy them. Salt can be used in a variety of food applications, including curing meat, baking, thickening, preserving moisture, enhancing flavor (including that of other ingredients), and as a preservative. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium nitrite, and sodium benzoate are all common food additives that contain sodium and are listed as "sodium" on the Nutrition Facts label in smaller amounts.

Surprisingly, some foods that don't taste salty can still be high in sodium, so judging a food's sodium content solely by taste is not accurate. For instance, while some foods with a lot of sodium, like pickles and soy sauce, taste salty, others, like cereals and pastries, don't taste salty. Even though a single serving may not contain a lot of sodium, some foods, like bread, that you might eat several times a day can add a lot to your daily sodium intake.