Cutting Salt Could Save Lives

PHILADELPHIA -- The nation's largest public health group says America should save lives by cutting salt in prepared meals.

The American Public Health Association wants a 50 percent decrease in salt in processed food and restaurant meals over 10 years. The group says this could save 150,000 lives a year from illnesses linked to high blood pressure. These conditions include strokes and heart attacks.

A resolution at the health association's annual meeting in Philadelphia urges a collaboration with food manufacturers to meet the goal.

Here are some tips for watching your salt intake:

Main-dish items and processed foods are heavily laden with salt. Snack foods such as pretzels, chips, crackers, pickles and olives can also add salt to your diet.
Even foods that don't taste salty can contain a lot of sodium. The federally required nutrition labels on food products make it easy to check the sodium content.
Sodium-free means less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving; very low-sodium means 35 milligrams or less per serving; low-sodium means 140 milligrams or less per serving; and unsalted, no salt added or without added salt means the product has been made without the salt normally used, but still contains the sodium that is a natural part of the food itself.
If you eat a salty ham sandwich and chips for lunch, a potassium-rich banana or a glass of orange juice can help balance the sodium.