skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Michigan, Do You Know Your Sodium Level?

play audio
Play

Monday, July 28, 2014   

LANSING, Mich. - Even if you've put down the salt shaker, there's a good chance you're still getting too much sodium in your diet, which could be putting you at risk for serious health issues.

Many Michiganders have done a good job cutting back on salt in foods they prepare at home, said registered dietitian Lori Jones. However, she said, the problem is that most people just aren't doing as much of their own cooking these days.

"We don't have a lot of control over what is in our food when we eat out, so we're picking up a lot of sodium there," she said. "We're also into convenience - so, we're using a lot of prepackaged, processed food."

Nearly all of the 1,000 people surveyed by the American Heart Association either underestimated or didn't know how much sodium they eat every day. Too much sodium can increase a person's risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and other major health problems.

Jones said most people consume nearly double the recommended 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, or about three-quarters of a teaspoon. Unfortunately, she said, the consequences of a high-sodium diet are no longer limited to adults.

"We're starting to see high blood pressure in younger ages, like teenage years," she said, "and if you have a child that's overweight, having a high-salt diet may push them toward high blood pressure at an earlier age."

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, according to the AHA. That's why the organization has put together an online toolkit to help people determine and reduce the amount of sodium in their diet. The toolkit is online at heart.org/sodium.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021