Sea Salt and Sodium Intake

Sea salt is marketed as a healthier and all-natural alternative to conventional salt, so why wouldn’t you think it’s okay to douse it liberally on everything from potatoes to chicken? In fact, sea salt is nearly identical in chemical makeup to table salt, and they contain the same amount of sodium. Since Americans already devour more than twice the amount they need, there’s no reason to shake salt of any kind on your food. A pinch here and there may not seem like much, but they can add up quickly. Besides, what we shake onto our plates isn’t the only source of sodium in our diets. We get most of it from processed and prepared foods, like bread, soup, frozen entrees and fast food.

Dietary guidelines recommend that we limit our sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day; and even further to 1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, or of African descent, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.