Shake the Salt Habit

Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and contribute to developing or worsening hypertension (high blood pressure), the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. According to a June 2006 report from the American Medical Association (AMA), the higher your blood pressure, the greater your chances of suffering coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure or kidney disease.

The number of people with hypertension is increasing in the U.S.; 65 million people now have hypertension. Rates are also high in other parts of the world. Although reducing sodium is just one variable in keeping hypertension away, it's an important, medication-free change that can have a significant impact, whether your blood pressure right now is normal or elevated.

A pinch of trouble: How much is too much?

We might avoid using a lot of salt in cooking or at the table and think we're curbing sodium effectively. But a whopping 75 percent or more of our daily sodium comes from processed foods (canned, packaged or frozen items, deli meats, prepared take-home dishes) and meals eaten at restaurants—whether grabbed at the fast food drive-through or enjoyed at a sit-down establishment. "The foods are loaded with salt and you can't tell most of the time," said Stephen Havas, MD, MPH, MS, vice president of Science, Quality and Public Health for the AMA.