Sodium's impact on children's blood pressure
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Posted: 09/17/2012
Doctors encourage adults to eat a low sodium diet to keep their blood pressure under control, but new research suggests we should be watching the sodium intake of children too.
A study from the CDC finds kids with more sodium in their diet have an increased risk of high blood pressure.
Doctors say this is particularly concerning because most kids appear to be consuming too much sodium.
Dietary regulations say children should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, but the children in the study were consuming 3,400 milligrams on average.
Researchers say the link between sodium and high blood pressure is even stronger among overweight and obese children.
Doctors suggest reducing the sodium in your child's diet, and increasing their physical activity to curb the risk of high blood pressure.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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