e all need salt in our diet. Our body can't survive without it, but too much salt can lead to high blood pressure in some people. Unfortunately our modern American diet is overloaded with salt where it's used as both a flavor enhancer and a preservative. The average American these days eats about 2-4 teaspoons of salt also known as sodium chloride. The recommended daily allowance of salt is ONE teaspoon which is the same as 6 grams of salt/ sodium chloride or 2.4 grams of sodium. It is important to understand the difference between these terms because they are not the same. Food labels often talk about sodium rather than salt. You can eat 6 grams of salt but that means no more than 2.4 grams of sodium. This total includes ALL salt intake not just the salt you add to your food. That means you have to know how much salt is already in the foods you are eating.
Maximum daily intake should be:	1 teaspoon salt = 6 grams of sodium chloride = 2.4 grams of sodium

Reading the labels: 

Food labels are filled with confusing terms when it comes to sodium, but there are precise definitions governing the use of these terms.   Common salt terms What they mean Sodium-free  less than 5 mg of sodium in a serving. Very low-sodium 35 mg or less of sodium in a serving. Low-sodium 140 mg or less of sodium in a serving Reduced or less sodium sodium at least 25 percent less per serving than the regular version of that food. Light or light in sodium sodium at least 50 percent less per serving than the regular version of that food. No salt added  no salt is added during processing in a food that usually has salt added.

Sodium Content of Common Foods:

 
   Food                       Sodium Content 
   -----------------------------------------
   apple                          1 and 1/2 mg 
   banana                             1 mg 
   broccoli, 2/3 cup                 10 mg 
   catsup, 1 T                      200 mg 
   carrots, 2                        50 mg 
   cheddar cheese, 1/4 lb           700 mg 
   chicken, broiled, 1/4 lb          70 mg 
   chicken, Burger King Broiler     480 mg 
   dill pickle, 1 medium            900 mg 
   eggs, 2                          270 mg 
   hamburger, Burger King           570 mg 
   hamburger, Burger King Whopper   870 mg 
   margarine, 1 T                   120 mg 
   milk, 2%, 8 oz                   120 mg 
   mustard, 1 tsp                    65 mg 
   olives, green, 10                940 mg 
   salt, 1 tsp                     1938 mg 
   Worcestershire sauce, 1 T        206 mg 

Sea Salt: The topic of Sea Salt requires a brief comment here. Sea Salt has been promoted in many health food outlets as a "more natural" and "healthier" salt. This is not true. Sea Salt has nearly the exact same sodium content as common table salt with a small amount of other salts and minerals mixed in ( typically things like potassium, calcium, sulfate, and magnesium). The exact content varies according to the region the salt was collected from but the sodium content of sea salt never varies from that of table salt by any appreciable amount. These other salts and minerals only decrease the sodium content by an very small amount and do not make the salt any less likely to contribute to hypertension. In addition, despite claims to the contrary, these additional minerals have never been shown to have any beneficial effect to human beings in the amounts found in Sea Salt and in some patients they can actually be harmful. Bottom line: Sea Salt is not a healthy alternative to table salt. If you have hypertension you should reduce your salt intake and not try to replace table salt with sea salt.

Suggestions for lowering your salt intake:

Limiting salt intake isn't as hard as you may think. Most people can adjust quite easily to a low salt diet and may even prefer not using salt after a while. There are many other items that can be added to foods to enhance their flavor which are healthier than salt. Try using spices and lemon juice instead of salt.

"Lite" salt can also help you lower your sodium intake. It only has 40 percent of the sodium of regular salt. Keep in mind that any added salt should be used only sparingly. The following are some ideas for lowering your salt intake.

 

Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned "with no salt added" vegetables.     Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Avoid smoked, cured, or processed meats     Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.     Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.     Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.     Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.     When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.     Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.