Hold the salt.(goodnews)(Brief Article)

If you haven't been doing so already, it might be time to start keeping track of your salt intake.

The new North American nutrition report, released in February 2004, raises concern about the amount of salt in Western diets.

Traditionally, government health officials have recommended a maximum intake of 2,400 milligrams (mg) of salt daily. But the study concludes that salt levels over 1,500 mg pose a serious risk of stroke, high blood pressure and kidney disease.

So how much salt is the average person eating now? A honkin' 4,000 mg a day. Most of that sodium comes not from the saltshaker but from sodium-laden processed foods.

On the other hand, while noting that we eat too much salt, the same nutrition report suggests that we aren't 'getting enough potassium. Along with supplements, them are a host of foods (see chart) that are rich in potassium--a nutrient critical in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.

{300,000,000 number of people worldwide who are more than 20 percent overweight as compared to roughly ...