Page 52 - NGA NATURALmag 2018 FALL Issue

Fall 2018 Fall 2018 CONTROLLING SALT
Nearly 90% of adults consume more salt than U S dietary guidelines recommend Recently a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Journal of of Pediatrics of of 6 235 children aged
8 8 to 18 years old found that young people in the United States are con- suming an average of of 3 3 387 mg of of salt per day which exceeds the 2 300 mg daily limit recommended by the federal dietary guidelines Study results were obtained by measur-
ing blood pressure and weight This study concluded that high sodium intake contributes to increased blood pressure levels and also places a a a a person at at greater risk for developing heart disease and other health issues Children are not exempt from these negative effects Additionally this study study concluded that 15% of the the children in the the study study had elevated or high blood pressure which is most prevalent among children who are overweight overweight The study also found that for every 1 000 mg of sodium an overweight overweight child child consumed blood pressure response was seven times greater than for a a a a a child child of normal weight Another study conducted by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that middle-aged men are consuming approximately 54% more salt now than in in in the early 1970s while women consume a a a a a a a whopping 67% more! There’s no no wonder that the the importance of maintaining salt intake has gained more focus on on the the importance of obtaining a a a a a a a a a a a a healthier diet In fact the American Heart Association now endorses a a a a a a a a a a a a 1 500-mg sodium limit for all adults and that’s less than half the the intake of a a a a a a a a a person living in in in the the United States - adult adult or child!
Achieving these sodium intake levels are easier said than done because lowering
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