Most food labels shorten the word “milligrams” to “mg.” Dietary recommendations and food labels use sodium rather than salt since it is the sodium component of salt that is most relevant for human health. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of salt than others.
https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm181577.htm
TABLE 15. Range of Sodium Content for Selected Foods. The ranges of sodium content for selected foods available in the retail market. This table is provided to exemplify the importance of reading the food label to determine the sodium content of food, which can vary by several hundreds of milligrams in similar foods.
http://health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm
The Daily Values are the amounts of nutrients recommended per day for Americans 4 years of age and older. The Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) per day. Use the Percent Daily Value (%DV) as a tool. The %DV tells you how much of a nutrient is in one serving of a food. The %DV is based on 100% of the Daily Value for sodium. When comparing and choosing foods, pick the food with a lower %DV of sodium.
https://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm315393.htm
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Vitamins. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies. Life Stage Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Pantothenic Biotin Choline. Group (µg/d)a d(mg/d) (µg/d)b,c f(mg/d) (µg/d) (mg/d) (mg/d) (mg/d)e (mg/d) (µg/d) (µg/d) Acid (mg/d) (µg/d) (mg/d)g.
https://fnic.nal.usda.gov/sites/fnic.nal.usda.gov/files/uploads/RDA_AI_vitamins_elements.pdf
It is important to read the food label and determine the sodium content of food, which can vary by several hundreds of milligrams in similar foods. For example, the sodium content in regular tomato soup may be 700 mg per cup in one brand and 1,100 mg per cup in another brand.
http://health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day. Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you're sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren't sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor or dietitian.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/sodium/art-20045479
Also known as sodium chloride, salt helps maintain the body's balance of fluids. Salt also functions in many foods as a preservative by helping to prevent spoilage and keeping certain foods safe to eat. But nearly all Americans consume more salt than they need, according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm181577.htm
A. The amount of salt in a food is listed as “sodium” on the Nutrition Facts label that appears on food packaging. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that the general population consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of table salt).
https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm181577.htm
Salt is sodium chloride. Food labels list sodium rather than salt content. When reading a Nutrition Facts Panel on a food product, look for the sodium content. Foods that are low in sodium (less than 140 mg or 5 percent of the Daily Value [DV]) are low in salt.
http://health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm
Upper Limit. The “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010” addresses sodium intake in detail. The average daily sodium intake for Americans is 3,400 milligrams per day, an excessive amount that raises blood pressure and poses health risks. In general, Americans should limit daily sodium consumption to 2,300 milligrams, but this is an upper safe limit, not a recommended daily allowance.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fda-recommended-sodium-intake-1873.html
what is the rda for sodium
The recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams.