Current U.S. guidelines recommend that people at low risk for CVD events limit their sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg (1 teaspoon or 100 mmol/L) per day. Certain populations, including people over 50, African Americans, diabetics, and people with high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease, should limit their daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg.
In 2010, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on salt consumption led to the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI), which set a goal of reducing dietary sodium consumption in the U.S. by 20% in 5 years.
But an updated IOM report published last spring, concluded that there was little evidence that reducing sodium intake to levels below a maximum of 2,300 mg per day lowered heart attack and stroke risk, even in the high-risk groups identified by the guidelines.
The 2013 report was criticized by several health organizations, including the American Heart Association which recommends intake of less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day for everyone. World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations call for limiting daily sodium intake to no more than 2,000 mg per day.