Salt (Photo : Reuters)
Salt in packaged foods found in groceries have been found to be in the dangerously high levels, and could lead to health complications, the CDC warns.
In small amounts, salt is used to perk up the flavor for foods. But, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report indicating that Americans are exceeding the healthy sodium limit because of processed foods.
More than 3,500 milligrams of sodium are averagely consumed by an American per day. The number is over the recommended healthy limit of 2,300 milligrams per day by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2010.
CDC said that around six in every 10 adults should even limit their sodium intake per day down to 1,500 mg, according to Diabetes Insider.
Continued salt intake at high amounts may lead to several types of cancers, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. CDC's report said that most of the excessive salts consumed are from restaurant and packaged grocery foods.
CDC advises consumers to read the product label to see if it contains high amounts of sodium. The government agency found that over 70 percent of several varieties of mixed dishes, pasta and frozen pizza exceed the recommended daily salt intake limit.
"The most important thing for consumers to know is that they should be reading labels, comparing food products, and looking for low or no sodium food options at the grocery store," the CDC wrote on their report.
WHO guidelines state that anything above 2,000 mg of salt is already hazardous to the health, according to Modern Readers. The American Heart Association, however, believes that 1,500 milligrams should be the maximum limit.
