Two research studies released this week say people can eat a
lot more salt than the limit the U.S. government recommends, but a third study
says death rates are higher among people who eat more salt.
The two studies say death rates from
cardiovascular disease are lower among those who consume between 3,000 and
6,000 milligrams of sodium a day.
That makes me happy because I prefer plenty of salt on my food.
The U.S. government recommends consuming no
more than 2,300 milligrams per day and for people older than 50, no more than
1,500.
The third study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine estimates that in 2010, a total of 1.65 million deaths
worldwide from cardiovascular causes occurred as a result of sodium consumption
of more than 2,000 mg per day.
The conflicting studies come as the federal
governments in the U.S. and Canada consider setting voluntary sodium reduction
goals.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture would impose
salt limits in foods purchased for its school lunches program.
