Health Canada
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Sodium in Canada
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Canadians eat about 3400 mg of sodium each day. This is more than double the amount we need. The recommended amount for people aged one year and over ranges from 1000 to 1500 mg per day.
Sodium is an essential nutrient found in salt and many foods. Our bodies need a small amount of sodium to be healthy, but too much can lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Sodium intake has also been linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis, stomach cancer and severity of asthma.
What we are doing
The federal, provincial and territorial governments are committed to helping create conditions that make the healthier choice the easier choice. Sodium reduction is an important part of healthy living and the governments have been working together towards supporting Canadians in their sodium reduction efforts. We are also working towards reducing the average sodium intake of Canadians to 2300mg per day by 2016. To help make this easier, we are working to increase the awareness and education of Canadians on the issue of sodium as part of healthy eating, supporting research related to sodium reduction, and are providing guidance to assist the food industry in safely lowering the amount of sodium in processed foods.
Tools and resources
Various tools and resources have been created to increase awareness, help educate Canadians on sodium and its health effects, and teach Canadians about proper nutrition.
Tools and resources available:
- Healthy Canadians - sodium section
- Focus-tested key sodium messages available for use by all stakeholders
- Nutrition Facts education campaign (% Daily Value)
- Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide
- Mandatory nutrition labelling
Conditions for "low in sodium", "salt-free" and "reduced sodium" claims- A health claim linking low-sodium/high-potassium diets with a reduced risk of high blood pressure
Guidance on reducing sodium in the food supply
Over 75% of the sodium we eat is found in processed food. The Canadian food industry has already initiated sodium reduction in processed and packaged food products and the governments encourage them to continue their efforts. Health Canada is developing guidance for industry to assist in reducing sodium levels in processed foods.
Research
An essential component of Health Canada's sodium reduction activities is research, with a focus on identifying and filling knowledge gaps and establishing research priorities that would engage partners and the research community in generating data to support sodium reduction.
Contact Us: sodium@hc-sc.gc.ca
