Diet and Exercise
Many physicians suggest that Americans as a whole need to decrease their sodium (salt) intake in food. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy American adults reduce their sodium intake to no more than 2400 milligrams (mg) per day. This is about 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt.

There are many sources of sodium in everyday foods. It is important to look at the labels on packaged and canned foods to determine how much sodium the foods contain.