Government advising Americans to cut down on salt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is telling half of the U.S. population to drastically cut their daily salt intake.

That's the advice to consumers - and the food industry - as the government issues new dietary guidelines, which are the recommendations behind the popular food pyramid.

For the first time, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, which issue the guidelines every five years, are telling people who are 51 and older, all African-Americans and anyone suffering from hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease to reduce daily sodium intake to little more than half a teaspoon.

That group includes about half of the population and those who are most at risk of having higher blood pressure due to sodium intake. For everyone else, the government continues to recommend about a teaspoon a day - 2,300 milligrams, or about one-third less than the average person usually consumes.