Foods which are apparently health- friendly may contain high levels of salt. It was found that lower fat foods had much higher level of sodium than full fat foods.

37 common supermarket items were analyzed in a research. It was found that large amounts of sodium were present in unexpected places, which includes some products that don't even taste salty. The findings of the research on different food items are as follows:

•    Four strands of Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists had 200 milligrams of sodium
•    Four strands of Twizzlers Strawberry Licorice had 115 milligrams of sodium content.
•    Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce had 430 milligrams of sodium per half cup.
•    Aunt Jemima Original Pancake and Waffle Mix contained 200 milligrams of sodium.
•    One cup of Heart Healthy V8 vegetable juice had 480 milligrams of sodium.
•    McDonald's Premium Caesar Salad with grilled chicken had about 890 milligrams of sodium, without dressing.
•    A large order of fries had 350 milligrams of sodium.
•    Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain White Bagel had 440 milligrams of sodium.

According to dietary guidelines, healthy adults should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day i.e. one teaspoon of table salt. Middle-aged and older people, those with high blood pressure, and black Americans should consume even a lesser amount, not more 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day. But the study found that the average American consumes 2,900 to 4,300 milligrams sodium per day.