Federal health officials in the country say that the children in America are at high risk for developing high blood pressure and heart problems due to excessive salt in their daily diet.
Teens and children are at high risk for developing diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular issues which are normally prevalent in adults in their middle age. The culprit behind this alarming premature risk is known to be the high salt content in processed food and restaurant food.
This means that the sodium content in food products was already at sky-high levels even long before they are cooked where salt from the salt shaker is added to taste.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, says that US school-aged kids consume high level of sodium each day which is estimated to about 3,270 mg. This alarms the organization so much as it claims children of this age range should get no more than 2,300 mg of salt each day.
In a study done by the CDC, which involves a survey into the diet of 2,200 children, it has been found out that the salt content of what these kids take in for dinner has way more salt than the salty snacks they have at break times.
Digging deeper into the discovery, the CDC found that pizza is among the highest, if not the highest, sources of sodium in the diet of today's children. The other sources of high sodium in children's diet include bread and rolls, cured meats and cold cuts, savory snacks, sandwiches, chicken patties/tenders/nuggets, cheese, Mexican mixed dishes, pasta mixed dishes, and soups.
While a New England Journal of Medicine published study states that sodium has little effect on a person's blood pressure, let alone heart performance, CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden says that controlling a child's sodium intake as early as possible will spare the child from tragic and expensive health issues later in life.
