Top 10 List: Sources Of Sodium In The American Diet

The impact of sodium on health has received a lot of attention in the field of nutrition lately.  Countless public health initiatives designed to reduce sodium consumption in the U.S. are currently underway.  The bottom line is that we eat way too much sodium and it is having a negative effect on our health.

Most of us know that high salt consumption is associated with high blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.  While this is the major issue with over consumption of salt, sodium has also been associated with stomach cancer and osteoporosis.  It used to be that if you were free of hypertension, you wouldn’t have to worry about sodium.  Those days are over.  It is now clear that everyone should take steps to reduce sodium in their diet. 

This Top 10 List is devoted to the biggest sources of sodium in the American diet.  This list is based on a combination of the amount of salt found in the food and the frequency of consumption.  It is based on data from the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association (Reference 1).  You may be surprised at some of the sources, I sure was.  Stay tuned for a more extensive post on the health effects of sodium in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, we can all start by limiting consumption of these foods.  My private clients and readers of my book should be well on their way to getting this stuff out of their diet anyway. :)

Top 10 Sources of Sodium In The American Diet

1) Meat Pizza

2) White bread

3) Processed Cheese

4) Hot Dogs

5) Spaghetti With Sauce

6) Ham

7) Ketchup

8) Cooked Rice

9) White Rolls

10) Flour Tortillas

References

1) Grocery Manufacturers Association.  Sodium and salt: a guide for consumers, policymakers and the media. Washington, D.C. 2008.