What youre always heard? Were eating too much salt.The average American gets about 3. 4 grams of sodium every day, far more than the upper limit of 2. 3 grams recommended by the USD A. The Institute of Medicine estimates that reducing sodium intake (摄取量) nationwide could prevent 100,000 deaths every year. The headlines now? Its time to get tough. The New York City health department recently kicked off a national effort to cut the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant food by 25% over five years. 80% of the salt in the average persons diet comes from those sources, not from the saltshaker (盐瓶). But wait! The benefits of salt reduction are surprisingly murky. At least 13 studies have tried to find out what happens to people who choose to eat salty or not-so-salty food—and the results have pointed in every direction. Some studies suggest that cutting salt protects the heart; others suggest that intense salt reduction can actually increase heart problems. Whats needed, Dr. Michael Alderman says, is a randomized (随机的) , controlled trial, in which people are put on different diets and followed for years. Its the only way to get a reliable answer, but its never been done. So what should you do? Go easy on processed foods and eat more produce. Those changes will improve your diet in a variety of ways and cut the amount of sodium you consume. If your blood pressure is high, work with your doctor to control it with drugs and lifestyle. changes. If your blood pressure is healthy? At this point, theres no convincing reason for you to count every grain. It is stated in Paragraph 1 that our sodium intake______.