We all know that too much sodium is bad for your health. But did you know just how bad it is for our wallets? According to new research, if Americans could cut their sodium intake to the levels recommended by health experts, the country would save about $18 billion in annual health care costs. The study, published in the journal American Journal of Health Promotion, found following sodium guidelines could eliminate 11 million cases of high blood pressure, improving the quality and life span of thousands of people each year. As many as 60 million Americans currently have this condition (about 1 in 4 adults.) High levels of sodium can cause your body to retain fluids, which is especially dangerous for people with high blood pressure. Current recommendations are 2300 mg (or less) of sodium per day for the average person, and less if you have high blood pressure. 2300 mg might sound like a lot, but the average American adult consumes 2500-5000 mg per day. Even if you're not heavy-handed with the salt shaker, sodium is found in many other places- canned foods, condiments, frozen dinners, etc. But reducing sodium intake isn't the only way to save on health care costs. According to the same study, "Reducing calorie consumption by 100kcal/day was projected to eliminate 71.2 cases of overweight or obesity and reduce medical costs $58 million per year. Reducing saturated fat consumption 5 grams/day among those with elevated cholesterol was projected to eliminate 3.9 cases of hyperlipidemia and reduce medical costs $2.0 billion per year." Are you surprised that these small changes could have such a huge economic impact? Why or why not? |
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