ATLANTA – Most U.S. adults should eat less than a teaspoon of salt each day, but a new government report says just 1 in 18 meet that goal.

“This is not good news,” said Janelle Peralez Gunn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead author of a new study released Thursday.

Health officials currently say no adult should eat more than a teaspoon of salt each day. They go on to advise that 70 percent of adults – including people with high blood pressure, all African-Americans and everyone over 40 – should actually limit their salt intake to a more restrictive two-thirds of a teaspoon.

Sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, which is major cause of heart disease and stroke. Salt – or sodium chloride – is the main source of sodium for most people. Read more