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According to a recent study, if Americans cut there salt intake by half a teaspoon per day, our public health benefits would increase dramatically. If we could lower our daily sodium intake to less than 3 grams a day, the number of heart attacks could decline up to 13 percent. Also, new cases of heart disease and strokes would decrease up to 11 and 8 percent. According to the study "a reduction in daily salt intake of just 1 gram (or about 400 milligrams of sodium) would produce "large declines" in the rates of cardiovascular events." The change in how much salt we ingest would have to start with the food manufacturers, because 75 to 80 percent of our salt consumption comes from processed foods. "Seemingly healthy staples such as breakfast cereal, pasta sauce, and sandwich bread likely contain more salt than one would think" says Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

             This article and the information that it provides relates to millions of people in the U.S. Many of these people have health issues like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. But, many of these men women and children could lower there risks, or symptoms of these diseases by just lowering there salt intake. Which, according to the article, the average American man and woman "consume about 4,178 and 2,933 milligrams of sodium per day." That’s nearly double of the recommended amount that you should eat daily. I think there should be some sort of regulation on how much sodium is in processed and served food, just like the regulations put on trans fats. Just think how much sodium is in the food served at McDonalds, Burger king, or any other fast food franchise. Sodium intake relates to the physical health side of the health pyramid. Like increasing your blood pressure and causing hypertension, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. 

                                                        -Andrew Baker