A new study claims that lowering the daily salt intake could save thousands of lives in the next 10 years. Researchers in the new study used different computer models to help predict the U.S. population’s health outcome if everyone reduced their level of salt intake 40% to only 2,200 milligrams over the next decade.
Americans age 2 and up have on average sodium intake of 3.430 milligrams a day, according to data supplied by the U.S. Center for Disease Control. In addition, salt in American’s diet does not only come from the shaker on the table, but from foods that are processed.
An earlier study by the Institute of Medicine said lowering salt intake could save 100,000 lives each year in the United States. The IOM recommends that salt intake for everyone is lower than 2,300 mgs per day, which is about a teaspoon.
Researchers used computer simulations and the results showed that by just lowering the salt intake from food eaten daily could save from 280,000 to 500,000 lives over the next decade in just the U.S.
Three approaches were used by researchers to see what effects sodium reduction in the daily diet would have. The first included a reduction on a gradual basis to reach a 40% reduction overall. The second was a reduction of the complete 40% daily all at once, while the third was limiting the intake of salt to just 1,500 milligrams daily.
The third approach that limited intake to just 1,500 milligrams had the best outcomes health wise over the next decade. However, researchers said reducing salt on a gradual basis was more practical in a daily diet.
