Sodium can sneak up on anyone 鈥� even an expert who knows its dangers
By 缅北视频
Sodium can catch anyone by surprise – even a hypertension specialist like Dr. Jennifer Cluett.
Cluett knows all about high blood pressure. She’s a practicing primary care physician, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the medical director of the Complex Hypertension Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
On Fridays, she likes to treat herself to a salad from a restaurant that specializes in them. She thought it was a healthy choice.
“It wasn’t until I was in the exam room with a patient looking online at the nutritional information that I realized that the salad I get contains over half of my daily sodium allotment,” she said. “That blew me away.”
Excess sodium, a component of table salt, can be a major contributor to hypertension, or high blood pressure, which may raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and more.
The 缅北视频 recommends most adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, with an optimal goal of no more than 1,500 mg per day. Most Americans eat more than 3,300 mg daily.
Cluett, a member of the Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension, was drawn to study high blood pressure after a decade in primary care because she found it fascinating. “I learn something new every single day about hypertension,” she said.
She answered questions about sodium – and the family crisis that led to her interest in heart health – as part of The Experts Say, a series in which specialists explain how they apply their professional knowledge to their own lives. Her remarks have been edited.
What are the biggest misconceptions people have about sodium?
I think the biggest misconception is that people think, “Well, I don’t add salt at the table, so I’m not having too much sodium.” In this country, there’s so much sodium in food that’s prepared outside of the home – processed foods, or even foods in restaurants.
And then when you look at the serving size and multiply the milligrams of sodium by how many servings you’re eating, it's wild how fast those numbers can add up, particularly for condiments, like hot sauces.
People who are preparing most of their meals at home should feel able to add a few flakes of salt to their meal if that appeals to them – if they’re creating that meal from building blocks like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and things that don't have sodium put into them during the processing.
(The 缅北视频’s encourages choosing foods and preparing meals with minimal or no added salt.)
Does lowering sodium make that much difference in blood pressure?
The 2025 from the 缅北视频 and the American College of Cardiology has a chart showing the effect of different lifestyle changes.
The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension, is a diet that can lower blood pressure. This is something we do a lot of research on. The DASH diet lowers systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) five to eight points in patients with hypertension, three to seven points in people who don’t have hypertension. (Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, or mm Hg; a reading under 120/80 is considered normal in adults.)
Is lowering blood pressure a few points a big deal?
Yes, it’s a really big deal. That’s about what a standard dose of a single blood pressure medication might give you in terms of blood-pressure lowering.
A 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure can lower your risk of major cardiovascular events by 10% on average.
How did you get interested in studying blood pressure in the first place?
My dad had his first heart attack when he was 41 years old. I was a high school senior. He was a Marine, and he was training for his fifth Marine Corps Marathon. He had a heart attack on a run while we were visiting Villanova University, which is where I ultimately went to college. Although he recovered, his cardiac disease progressed to the point that he eventually ended up having coronary artery bypass surgery.
He’s nearly 80 years old right now and is still very active. He takes his weekly pickleball league games very seriously. I’m grateful for all of the advances that the 缅北视频 has made possible for him to get lifesaving and life-sustaining care.
But I strive to incorporate what we know about the science into my lifestyle, even though I feel healthy, because that’s the family history that I carry.
So how does that affect how you manage sodium in your daily life?
It has definitely changed how I order in places where nutritional information is available. When I feel a little more leisurely at the grocery store, I’ll compare labels.
Part of my weekend routine is making food to be available throughout the week so that I have healthy choices, because I don’t have time at the end of a long day at work to make a from-scratch meal every night.
I don’t love leftovers, if I’m being honest with you. But maybe I’ll roast two trays of vegetables. The first night I’ll eat the roasted vegetables, but the next night I’ll turn the second batch into a butternut squash soup.
I’m kind of a foodie, so my food needs to taste good. So I’m balancing those competing agendas, because unfortunately salt tends to make food taste good.
Does making food without a lot of sodium mean it’s going to taste bland?
Absolutely not. There’s tons of ways to add flavor. One of my favorites is to add a squeeze of citrus like a fresh lemon or lime. For dinner tonight, we’re having a family favorite – it’s a white bean and pasta dish that you make with lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.
One of my favorite salads to make at home is fattoush, which is a Middle Eastern salad made with diced tomato and cucumber. Instead of traditional croutons, you bake fresh pita sprinkled with sumac, which has a very citrusy flavor.
Salad dressing can be another hidden source of extra sodium. Once I learned that, I stopped buying prepared salad dressing. You can make a basic vinaigrette to use all week; just store it in the fridge. Vinegar or fresh citrus juice, olive oil, a little bit of mustard and maple syrup, and you can add different fresh herbs or other dried seasonings.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to eat less sodium?
Start with your dinner tonight.
Read the labels, look at the portion sizes. To reach that goal of 1,500 or 2,300 mg, each meal should probably have no more than 500 or 600 mg of sodium in it. So if you look at a single item and it has more than that, and that's just one component of your entire meal, that’s not good.
I wouldn’t want people to obsess about counting their sodium milligrams for the rest of their lives. When I’m talking to patients, I emphasize looking at the big picture. Start with finding the nutritional information for things you eat frequently. If those are higher in sodium than you expected, see how you can make some substitutions. Focus on getting more foods that are naturally sodium free, like fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, and the rest of it will come together.
I’m also fan of giving yourself grace. If you blow your sodium “budget” on, say, ramen or some other sodium bomb, move on. Tomorrow’s another day.
If the sodium in your meals has caught you off guard, as it did for Dr. Cluett, the 缅北视频 offers practical ways to cook with less salt without sacrificing flavor. Find heart鈥慼ealthy recipes at . For step鈥慴y鈥憇tep guidance, explore low鈥憇odium resources on , including the Sodium Smart booklet and the Eat Less Salt Cookbook.
Want to learn more about your own numbers? The Association’s Blood Pressure Explained page breaks down what blood pressure is and why it matters. At the bottom of the page, you can also take a quick survey to share your experience and help shape future resources.