Americans should lower salt intake but not too much, review says

Americans should lower their sodium intake, currently about 3400 mg/day, but there is no evidence supporting an intake level below 2300 mg/day, the Institute of Medicine has said in a new report.1

The report’s findings conflict with the dietary guidelines for Americans, which are based on a 2005 report by the Institute of Medicine. The guidelines recommend that people aged 14-50 years limit their sodium intake to 2300 mg/day. They urge an even lower intake of 1500 mg/day for certain subgroups: people aged 51 and older; African Americans; and those with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. These subgroups make …