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Quiz: The Salt in Our Foods

How much sodium is too much — and which foods are loaded with it?

Christina Ianzito,

AARP

En español

Published April 20, 2021

8 Questions

8a8a61ed-a79e-4f05-bb95-1117e233b489

Quiz: The Salt in Our Foods

[ {
 "question" : "What does eating too much salt (sodium) do to the body?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "It can clog the arteries by thickening the blood",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "It can increase blood pressure by keeping extra fluid in the body",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "It can prevent sugar's digestion, which may cause diabetes",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "None of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Eating a lot of of salt can increase blood pressure, which, over time, stresses the heart, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Does sodium do our bodies any good at all?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Yes, it helps the body control blood pressure and volume, and it's key to the proper functioning of nerves and muscles",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Yes, it regulates the amount of sugar in the blood, and helps repair injuries",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "No, the less salt your body absorbs, the better",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "No, the only healthful part of table salt is the added iodine",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Our bodies actually need salt — about 180-500 mg a day — to function properly.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Healthy adults over the age of 50 should limit sodium consumption to 1,500 mg a day. About how much table salt would that be?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "2/3 teaspoon",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 teaspoon",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1/2 tablespoon",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 tablespoon",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "About 2/3 teaspoon of table salt, which is 40 percent sodium, contains the USDA's maximum recommended amount of sodium for healthy adults 51-69. People over 70 should consume no more than 1,200 milligrams a day.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "How much sodium, on average, do Americans consume each day?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "2,200 mg",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "2,800 mg",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "3,400 mg",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "4,100 mg",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Americans generally consume more than twice the daily amount recommended by the American Heart Association.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which of the following types of food does NOT have high sodium levels?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Canned soup",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Breads & rolls",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Pizza",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Fish",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Fresh fish generally is low in sodium: A 3-ounce serving of swordfish, tuna or trout has less than 100 mg. (Canned fish, though, can have much more.)\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which of these foods has the most sodium?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 cup of raw celery",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 banana",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 baked potato",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The yogurt has 174 mg of sodium, the celery has 96 mg, the banana has next to none and the baked potato, 20 mg.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Which of these foods has more than 900 mg of sodium?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "1 cup of canned tomato sauce",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "1 cup of cottage cheese",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "All have more than 900 mg of sodium, which means one serving uses up more than half of your daily allowance. Processed foods are a big source of sodium in our diets.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "How long does it take for your blood pressure to lower once you start decreasing the amount of salt in your diet?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Three or four days",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A few weeks",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Four-five months",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "About a year",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "It often takes only a few weeks for blood pressure to start dropping. Lowering blood pressure reduces a person's risk for cardiovascular disease, even for those with normal blood pressure.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Quiz: The Salt in Our Foods

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Christina Ianzito covers scams and fraud, and is the books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Also a longtime travel writer and editor, she received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.