Some Chain Meals Contain 4 Days Worth Of Sodium
WGAL, May 12, 2009
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that it is nearly impossible to get a restaurant meal with even a reasonably safe amount of sodium. Doctors said anyone with high blood pressure, African Americans and people middle-aged and older -- 70 percent of the population -- should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. And the rest of the population should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Despite those recommendations, most leading restaurant chains serve dangerous levels of sodium, according to the CSPI.Researchers examined 17 chains and found that 85 out of 102 meals had more than a day's worth of sodium, and some had more than four days' worth. For example: - Red Lobster's Admirals' Feast with a Caesar salad, creamy lobster-topped mashed potato, Cheddar Bay biscuit and a lemonade contains 7,106 mg of sodium.
- Chili's Buffalo chicken fajitas with tortillas and condiments and a Dr. Pepper contains 6,916 mg of sodium.
- Olive Garden's Tour of Italy lasagna with a breadstick, a garden fresh salad with house dressing and a Coca-Cola contains 6,176 mg of sodium.
For some, especially elderly people, consuming more than 4,000 mg of sodium poses an immediate risk of heart failure, neurological disorders and other serious problems, according to the CPSI researchers."Many elderly eat frequently at these restaurants because of convenience and cost. But the high sodium levels in many of these meals can lead to a spike in blood pressure and even precipitate heart failure in some individuals," said Dr. Mel Daly.Daly, a geriatrician at Greater Baltimore Medical Center and a professor at Johns Hopkins University said most elderly people have no idea."Who knows how many Americans have been pushed prematurely into their graves thanks to sodium levels like those found in Olive Garden, Chili's, and Red Lobster?" said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "These chains are sabotaging the food supply. They should cut back and give consumers the freedom to decide for themselves how much salt they want."Children eating at chain restaurants don't fare much better than their parents or grandparents. According to the Institute of Medicine, children aged 4 to 8 years old should consume no more than 1,200 mg of sodium per day. But the same chains serve meals that contain one or two days' worth of sodium. - Red Lobster's chicken fingers with a biscuit, fries and raspberry lemonade contains 2,430 mg of sodium.
- KFC's popcorn chicken with macaroni and cheese, Teddy Grahams and 2 percent milk contains 2,005 mg of sodium.
"Parents already have enough to worry about with the increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes among children. The restaurant industry should not add to these problems by raising kids' blood pressure as well," said Dr. Stephen Havas of Northwestern University.Havas and other hypertension experts have estimated that reducing sodium levels in restaurant and packaged foods by half could prevent at least 150,000 premature deaths per year in the U.S.The CSPI said it hopes the Obama administration will look to sodium reduction and other prevention measures as means of making health care reform affordable."Americans spend north of $15 billion to treat high blood pressure, and many billions more on expensive heart procedures, yet the government spends peanuts improving Americans' diets," said Jacobson. "Getting the food and restaurant industry to use less salt would be one way the Obama administration could help prevent chronic disease and make health coverage more affordable."More information can be found at the CPSI Web site.
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