I've Got an Issue: It's a Salt Attack!

I am so tired of processed foods that are full of added salt being pawned off as healthy at the grocery store! I cannot count the number of times that I have been to the store and picked up an item that is cleverly marketed to appear nutritious, only to look at the nutrition facts and see that there are 800 mg of Sodium in one serving. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Sodium intake should be restricted to allow no more than 2,000 mg per day, but research indicates that most Americans consume twice the recommended intake- thats 4,000 mg per day. The dangers of consuming too much Sodium are serious, as it has been linked to increased blood pressure and heart disease, which is the number one disease that people in America die from today. There are hefty consequences for consuming too much Sodium in the diet, yet when I go to the grocery store, the aisles are packed with items, even "healthy" items, that are full of added salt. With the incidence of heart disease increasing among the American population, action must be taken. If the food producers are unwilling to be more conscientious of the amount of salt that they add to their food products in processing, then it is up to the American consumer to become more aware of the foods they eat and their contents. Reduced consumption of added salt has been proven again and again to decrease the risk of heart disease and to improve blood pressure levels. With such strong conclusions being drawn from various studies, the implications for the need to decrease the amount of salt in the diet are obvious and worth heeding.