The National Institute of Medicine reports that we should have 40% less sodium–just 1500 mg daily; and double the potassium–4700 mg daily. A quickie summary is here.
Read the full, scholarly report online, free.
Sodium is as old as salt licks, and most of the salt we eat is added to processed food we buy—not salt we add while cooking, or at the table. 1500 milligrams is about 3/4 of a level teasopoon: average U.S. Intake is about 3x that! And much of it is hidden, discoverable only on labels. Read the fine print!
The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), tested at Harvard and nationwide recommends higher potassium levels too–here are 2 sets of recipes for high blood pressure: one searchable on the site and the other for DASH itself, through the National Dairy Council. They are low in sodium and high in potassium…and help to control blood pressure deliciously.