U.S. adults don't know how much to drink

DALLAS, April 25 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults know drinking limited amounts of wine is good for the heart but they don't know how limited that amount is, a survey indicates.

The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by the American Heart Association indicates most Americans mistakenly believe sea salt is a low-sodium alternative to regular table salt.

Seventy-six percent of those surveyed agreed that wine can be good for the heart but only 30 percent knew the AHA's recommended limits for daily wine consumption -- limit consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women, or 8 ounces of wine for men and 4 ounces of wine for women.

Sixty-percent incorrectly agreed that sea salt is a low-sodium alternative to table salt. Kosher salt and most sea salt are chemically the same as table salt -- 40 percent sodium -- and they count the same toward total sodium consumption.

Forty-six percent say table salt is the primary source of sodium in American diets, which is incorrect. As much as 75 percent of the salt consumed is found in processed foods such as tomato sauce, soups, condiments, canned foods and prepared mixes.

Dr. Gerald Fletcher, spokesman for the AHA and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Jacksonville, Fla., says the AHA recommends consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.

No further survey details were provided.