Report: Canadians worried about sodium intake; confused about how much to eat
Posted January 31, 2010 6:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – February is Heart Month and according to a new study about 70 per cent of Canadians are concerned about the level of sodium in their diet. We are also confused about how much we should be consuming.
On average, Canadians take in about 3,100 milligrams of sodium daily, that’s more than double the recommended 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams.
Dietician Leslie Beck says high sodium can lead to heart disease — the number one killer of men and women in Canada. “If Canadians were to cut their sodium intake to the recommended level we would decrease the rate of high blood pressure by 30 per cent, cut high blood pressure related heart attacks and strokes by almost 10 per cent. Some estimate we’d save about $2 billion a year in health care costs.”
She says a good way to watch what you’re eating, read nutrition labels when grocery shopping.
