Following are the horrifying highlights of the report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report released on February 7, 2013 and available online.

Nine out of ten Americans do not follow recommended guidelines for salt intake. As a result, excess salt intake was the primary cause or contributing cause of nearly 348,000 deaths in America in just one year. How unbelievable is that? By merely cutting down salt intake in our food so many deaths could be avoided.

One in two Americans with high blood pressure either are not aware of their condition or don’t have it controlled to at least acceptable levels. As described in my book Salt Kills, high blood pressure is just one of multiple health problems caused by salt. You can expect these millions of Americans who do not die prematurely from many of the consequences of habitual salt intake to go on living with heart failure and other incapacitating disabilities.

My patients generally are aware of the dangers of salt and tell me that they no longer add salt to the food they prepare in their homes. But most of them are not aware of how many different ways salt makes it into their food. 

The CDC report finds that 65 percent of the excess salt we consume comes from processed foods purchased in the grocery store. To add to this alarming finding, 25 percent of the excess salt we consume comes from restaurant food. According to this report, a mere 10 percent of the excess salt you consume comes from you adding the salt yourself in the kitchen and dining table.

Becoming aware of the dangers of salt should help you be a smart shopper and also become careful when eating out.  Reading the book Salt Kills and our blogs will convince you to not to become one the statistics. Watch out for these top ten food items identified by CDC as the biggest culprits.

1. Breads and rolls
2. Cold cuts/cured meats
3. Pizza
4. Poultry
5. Soups
6. Sandwiches
7. Cheese
8. Pasta mixed dishes
9. Meat mixed dishes
10. Savory snacks

REFERENCE: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm61e0207a1.htm?s_cid=mm61e0207a1_e&mobile=nocontent