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150,000 Americans Die From Too Much Salt
On November 29, 2007, The American Medical Association joined with the
Center for Sceince in the Public Interest to urge the FDA to regulate the
amount of salt in foods.
This historic call for regulatory action came on the heel sof finding sby the
Center which showed that up to 150,000 Americans may die each year from
consuming too much salt.
In a press statement released yesterday, AMA Vice President for Science,
Quality, and Public Health Stephen Havas, MD, MPH, MS, said, “The need for
immediate action is clear. The deaths attributed to excess salt consumption
represent a huge toll – the equivalent of a jumbo jet with more than 400
passengers crashing every day of the year, year after year.”
“Excess sodium greatly increases the chance of developing hypertension,
heart disease, and stroke,” said Dr. Havas. “Research shows most
Americans consume two to three times the amount of sodium that is
healthy, with an estimated 75 to 80 percent of the daily intake of sodium
coming from processed and restaurant foods. Reducing the salt in our diets
by 50 percent over the next ten years could save at least 150,000 lives
each year.”
“Americans don’t consume large amounts of salt because they request it,
but often do so unknowingly because manufacturers and restaurants put it
in food,” said Dr. Havas. “The FDA has an opportunity to inform the public of
the hazards of salt through better labeling and provide increased incentives
for the industry to reduce the amount of salt added to food.”