Nutrition Month 2009:
How Not To Use Taste to Judge Sodium Content

You already know that too much sodium can raise your blood pressure, but did you know that that excess salt or sodium might also be an unfortunate ticket to osteoporosis, stomach cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease?

If want to ward off all of these ails, you'll need some sodium smarts. Don't let a mild or even bland taste trick you into thinking a food is low sodium. Many plain foods have sodium contents jumping off the charts. You'll need to look at food labels, websites and books to know how much sodium you're swallowing.

Could you guess that a fast-food chicken sandwich has nine times the sodium of a small order of salted French fries? When the salt is cooked into the food, the taste is hidden more than when it's sprinkled on top. Here are some more examples that may surprise you.

Look up the sodium content (and any other nutrient) of your favorite food at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Sodium Stats:

*The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends no more than 2300 mg sodium per day, but many experts say less than 1500 mg is ideal.

*95% of men and 75% of women in the U.S. consume more than the maximum recommendation.

*If a food is labeled low sodium, a single serving contains no more than 140 mg sodium. Very low-sodium means that a serving has no more than 35 milligrams sodium, and a sodium-free food has no more than 5 milligrams sodium per serving.

*You can't go wrong with fruits and vegetables. They're loaded with disease-fighting nutrients and they're naturally low in sodium.