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(HealthDay News) — Nine out of 10 American kids eat more salt than they should, raising their lifelong risk for high blood pressure and heart disease, according to a new report from the CDC.
The study authors drew their conclusions using data from more than 2,000 children who participated in the CDC’s 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
On average, children aged 6 to 18 years eat 3,300 mg of sodium per day, even before salt is added at the table, the researchers found.
Approximately 65% comes tucked inside store foods; 13% is from fast food and pizza restaurant foods; and 9% is from school cafeteria foods.
About 43% of the salt ingested by children comes from the 10 foods they eat most often, the CDC found. These foods include pizza, bread and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats, savory snacks, sandwiches, cheese, chicken patties and nuggets, pasta dishes, Mexican dishes and soups.
Current dietary guidelines recommend that children eat less than 2,300 mg per day.
