Americans get most of their salt and sodium intake from three sources: processed and prepared foods, condiments that contain sodium, and natural sources of sodium.

Sodium naturally occurs in foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy products and drinking water. Condiments such as table salt and soy sauce also add sodium to a meal, whether the condiment is added during food preparation or during eating.

However, the greatest source of sodium in the average person’s diet is processed and prepared foods. Canned vegetables, soups, luncheon meats and frozen foods all contain varying levels of salt and sodium. Salt sometimes is added to processed foods to help preserve them. The salt draws water out of the food, depriving bacteria of the moisture necessary to thrive. Salt also kills bacteria that cause food to spoil.

Salt also may be added to processed foods for other reasons including:

• Adding flavor to food
  
  
• Boosting the thickness of soups
  
  
• Decreasing dryness in foods such as crackers and pretzels
  
  
• Disguising metallic or chemical aftertastes in products such as soft drinks
  
  
• Increasing sweetness in products such as cakes, cookies and soft drinks

The amount of sodium and salt is particularly high in processed foods. Ingredients that include sodium usually can be identified for looking for several words in the ingredient list. These include “na” (the chemical symbol for sodium), “salt,” “soda” or “sodium.” Ingredients with sodium and their functions are as follows:

Sodium compounds are also found in over-the-counter medications. These include: