evidence: Consuming too much sodium can raise your blood pressure. Limiting sodium intake is especially important if you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. [...] Most Americans eat too much sodium and too little potassium. Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, on average. This is well above the federal recommendation of less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily for teens and adults as part of a healthy eating pattern. Most sodium in our diets comes from packaged and restaurant food. Foods with moderate amounts of sodium, such as bread, can be major sources of sodium because they're eaten so frequently.