Salt, Salt, Everywhere; in the Food, they don't Care!

While salt is a necessary nutrient, most Americans consume many times more sodium than they need in a day. Too much salt can raise one's blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Processed foods are notoriously high in sodium- just a can of soup can contain more than a days worth of salt!


Assuming you consume a "typical" diet, it's nearly impossible to not get enough sodium- you'd have to try extremely hard to wind up with a sodium deficiency. Essentially every packaged food contains substantial amounts of added salt. Salted nuts, packaged lunch meat, canned fish, soups, chips, salsa and various sauces are all usually high in sodium. Even healthy items, such as whole grains, skim or soy milk and egg whites tend to contain a good deal of salt. The only foods normally available with minimal sodium would be fruits and vegetables- but some people prepare such foods with extra table salt. --source: WikiAnswers.com