Pasta products contain more sodium than potato chips

Pasta products contain more sodium than potato chips (Alberta Times) The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a surprising finding on the 7th that bread and rolls (ro…

(Alberta Times)

) The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a surprising finding on the 7th that flour-based foods such as bread and rolls have become the largest source of salt in the American diet, with sodium content even more than twice that of junk foods such as potato chips. The report also pointed out that the average sodium consumption of Americans exceeds the standard of 2,300 milligrams, and only one tenth of Americans meets the standard of consuming one teaspoon of salt per day. The CDC lists the top ten food sources of sodium in the report, and salty snacks are actually only at the bottom. "Potato chips, pretzels and popcorn, which we consider to be the most salty foods, only rank tenth," said CDC Director Fei Heping. Cogswell, a senior CDC scientist who co-authored the report, said it's not that bread and roll snacks actually contain more salt than many other foods, but that people eat more. Salt is the main source of sodium for most people, but sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure and is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Health officials say most Americans eat too much salt, most of which comes from processed and restaurant foods rather than adding it themselves. Although experts have known in the past that the sodium content of bread and other certain foods can add up, they did not expect that just ten foods account for 44% of sodium intake. According to the CDC, bread and roll snacks account for about 7% of the average daily salt consumption of Americans; other foods with high salt content include cold meats, cured meats, pizza, fresh and processed poultry, soups, and fast-food burgers, sandwiches and cheese. Dietary guidelines recommend that you should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about a teaspoon of salt; some people with high blood pressure should consume less. However, the study also found that the average American consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium.