High levels of dietary sodium are a major factor in the leading cause of death in NYS, cardiovascular disease, as well as cerebrovascular disease (stroke), via increases in hypertension.

We contend with this in our work, and are especially troubled by the inequitable impacts of these conditions on the communities of color we serve, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian New Yorkers more likely to have hypertension than non-Hispanic white New Yorkers.

Overall, about 4.9 million adults in NYS (31%) report being told by a health professional they have high blood pressure, and 80% of that group reports taking medication to control it. 

The recommended Daily Value for sodium consumption is less than 2300 mg.  However, the vast majority of Americans - about 90 percent of people living in the US - consume excessive levels of sodium, with an average daily intake of 3,393 mg of sodium (1½ teaspoons), nearly one and a half times the recommended limit.

Dietary sodium reduction is a recommended strategy for prevention and treatment of hypertension and is supported by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, and other leading medical organizations. 

In fact, researchers have estimated that reducing Americans’ daily sodium intake by about a third (1,200mg) would prevent between 44,000 and 92,000 deaths per year from stroke, heart attack, and other causes.  Even a smaller reduction in sodium of just under 10 percent (350 mg per day) could prevent about 1 million strokes and heart attacks, adding more than 1.3 million years to American’s lives.

And yet, the current food environment makes reducing sodium intake difficult, if not impossible. The leading sources of sodium in the American diet, accounting for 71% of overall sodium intake, are from restaurants, prepackaged, and processed foods (as opposed to sodium inherent to a food or added during cooking or at the table) with restaurant foods having more sodium per calorie compared to food obtained from stores. The top food type contributing sodium to our diet is sandwiches---including the typical fast food fare of burgers, chicken sandwiches, hotdogs, breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches made with deli meats, and burritos/tacos. The average sodium content of a default combination meal at a chain restaurant in the US is 2,110 milligrams, a value that aggressively approaches the daily limit for sodium (2,300mg/day).