Is the Salt in Your Diet Safe?

Recently, a petition by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that the safe status of salt be revoked.

A hearing is scheduled in response to CSPI's request, which also includes recommendations to limit the level of salt in processed foods, to grade salt as a food additive and to send health messages to encourage the limiting of salt intake.

Excessive salt intake is linked to health problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Although we are aware of the dangers of too much salt, previous petitions from the CSPI to the FDA in 1978 and 1981 were denied.

We do need salt to live, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. According to Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, research nutritionist at Northwestern University Medical School and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, "You cannot exist without sodium. But the amount we need is minor."

The recommended safe minimum daily amount of salt recommended by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC is 500 milligrams up to 2,400 milligrams.

For optimum health and fitness, be careful about eating too many processed foods and keep track of your daily salt intake.