Did you know…

  • A healthy garden salad with low-fat dressing often has more sodium than a hamburger and french fries?
  • Teriyaki marinade can have as much as 3,050mg sodium per tablespoon, but many grilling sauces have less than 140mg?
  • A large bagel has an average of 700mg sodium?
  • A half cup of prepared spaghetti sauce contains over 500mg sodium?
  • All-purpose flour has 3mg sodium per cup, but self-rising flour has 1,588mg?
  • Baking powder contains 488mg sodium per teaspoon and baking soda has 1259mg?
  • One dill pickle spear has 385mg, a sweet gherkin has 141mg?
  • 2 tbsp Italian dressing has 231mg, fat free has 430mg and zesty Italian has 510?
  • 1 cup prepared rice pilaf has over 700mg sodium, but a cup of instant rice only has 30mg?
  • 1 tbsp clam juice has 70mg sodium?
  • Pickled hot banana peppers or jalapeños average 410mg sodium per pepper?
  • 3 ounces of Alaskan king crab has 711mg sodium, but 3 ounces of Dungeness or blue crab only have 250mg (before you add the butter)?
  • Antacids can have as much as 761mg sodium?

Health Statistics

High blood pressure (hypertension)

  • More than 50 million Americans (1 in 4) and 1 billion worldwide have high blood pressure. 35% of all people with hypertension are not aware of their condition.
  • More than half of all women over 60 have high blood pressure.
    1 in 3 African Americans over the age of 18 suffers from hypertension (twice that of the general population).
  • 20% of deaths among black Americans are due to high blood pressure.
  • Americans have a 90% change of eventually developing high blood pressure.
  • Hypertension is a major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal failure.

Heart disease

  • 1 in 2 men will get heart disease
  • 1 in 3 women will get heart disease
  • Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women
  • Heart attacks and strokes kill twice as many women as all types of cancer combined
  • 1 in 30 women under 45 has some form of heart disease, between 45-64 that increases to 1 in 9, and 1 in 3 after 65

Stroke

  • Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • The risk of stroke nearly doubles after age 55
  • High blood pressure is the most important risk for stroke
  • Lowering blood pressure 5 points can reduce the risk of stroke by 42%
  • Cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and other related diseases such as diabetes, put a person at higher risk for a stroke

Cholesterol

  • More than 65 million Americans have high cholesterol (1 in 5)
  • Saturated fats and trans fats are the main dietary factors in raising blood cholesterol

Salt Intake

  • Americans consume 4,000-6,000mg sodium per day – two to three times more than the recommended level of 2,400mg
  • The saltshaker contributes about 25% of the salt we consume, the majority comes from processed and convenience foods
  • The incidence of stroke, osteoporosis and renal stones is lower in people with lower salt intake