Have We Underestimated the Effects of Sodium Excess on the Health of the Public?

ost Americans unknowingly consume a diet with a salt content up to 10 times that recommended for optimal health. Processed foods often have sodium additives that approach the concentration of seawater—approximately 1 gram of sodium per 100 grams of solute per food (MacGregor, 2001). Public health literature has estimated that the daily sodium intake level for persons in the United States averages 5 to 15 grams with recommendations suggesting an intake of 1.5 to 2.5 grams of sodium as a target for optimal health. As research becomes an increasingly important tool in the formation and evolution of health policy, nurses have great opportunities for influencing policy by disseminating knowledge and implementing research evidence at the practice level and through day-to-day interactions with other health professionals and patients (West & Scott, 2000). Nursing in both the professional and advanced practice environments has a tremendous impact on health promotion through patient teaching materials and community involvement. This knowledge is essential as nurses act within the larger realm of influencing political and commercial interests on behalf of improved health outcomes for patients. The medical community has long known the detrimental effects of excess sodium on persons 25 Americans consume a diet with a salt content up to 10 times that recommended for optimal health. This excess intake results in high rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease that do not occur in cultures with lower sodium intakes. Although the effects of excess sodium on population health have been demonstrated across study designs, proposals to reduce sodium content in commercially available foods continue to be met with opposition despite findings that reducing the content of salt in many foods does not reduce palatability. Development of a public health policy is supported by recommendations for dietary sodium reductio