US children eat 1,000 milligrams too much salt The recommended intake of sodium for children and adults is less than one teaspoon per day, or an estimated 2,300 milligrams. However, the study found that on average, the children were consuming 3,300 milligrams daily. Quanhe Yang from the CDC in Atlanta, who worked on the study, which was published in the journal of Pediatrics, said: "Kids are consuming as much sodium as adults, which far exceeds the recommended amount." High blood pressure puts humans at risk factors for cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes, according to researchers. Dr Frederick Kaskel, Chief of paediatric nephrology at Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York, said: "Our American diet clearly is very high in sodium." Not only is the high sodium something to be avoided, but it is also indicative of an unhealthy diet.