Science Fact Finder | Food and Nutrition - What Is The Daily Recommended Allowance Of Salt And Cholesterol In The Diet?

What is the daily recommended allowance of salt and cholesterol in the diet?

The American Heart Association recommends a restriction of dietary sodium to 3,000 milligrams (3 grams) per day and of dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams per day.

Generally, 1.5 teaspoons of salt (the composition of which is either sodium chloride or sodium iodide) a day is sufficient to obtain the recommended 3,000 milligrams of sodium. However, the average American ingests two to four times that much. Too much salt in the diet causes extra water to be drawn into the blood vessels. This increases the pressure on the artery walls, causing high blood pressure.

Cholesterol, an essential element for bodily functions, is contained in foods having a high saturated-fat content, such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream, fatty meats, poultry, shellfish, coconut oil, cocoa butter (found in chocolate), palm...

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