They may be more familiar as ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, and bouillon cubes. Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, and ham, and canned soups and vegetables are all examples of foods that contain added sodium. Fast foods are generally very high in sodium. Sodium is a mineral that is required by the body to regulate blood pressure and blood volume. Sodium also assists in the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.
Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams.
One teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium. The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences recommends an approximate daily range of 1,100 to 3,300 milligrams of sodium for adults. The American Heart Association recommends that for every 1,000 Calories of food consumed, the sodium intake should be 1,000 milligrams and should not exceed the 3,000 milligram limit. The average intake in the United States is between 4,000 and 5,000 milligrams of sodium per day. Specific recommendations regarding sodium intake do not exist for infants, children, and adolescents.