You may or may not be aware of this, but Americans eat too much salt. According to a recent article in Time, the American Medical Association (AMA) says we consume up to 9 to 12 grams per day, which adds up to twice our daily recommended intake. That’s a lot of excess sodium that we’re putting into our bodies, and as many of us already know, that can increase our risk of a whole host of serious health disorders, including hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

But even a slight reduction in our consumption could have profound benefits. By examining health trends in heart disease over time, the AMA has estimated that lowering our daily salt intake by as little as 1 gram (or 40 mg of sodium) could save as many as 30,000 lives from coronary heart disease over the next ten years.

Cutting our consumption in half could save as many as 150,000 people from premature death each year, with women and African Americans experiencing the biggest gains from such action.

Unfortunately, cutting back on salt may not be as simple as it seems. We’ve reached a point where we are either too accustomed to salty flavor that we crave it in our food, or we are unaware that it is even there because it is hidden away in processed and prepared foods.

Indeed, it turns out that elevated levels of sodium are sequestered in the most unlikely of places, from sliced bread to breakfast cereals. And when eating foods fast food or in restaurants, then it goes without saying that it’s difficult to know what you’re eating. It is a good bet, however, that in the interest of flavor, most eating establishments are not about to start putting health concerns first.

The situation is further aggravated by the fact that processed foods and fast foods have become so prevalent in our lives. Besides being widely available, they are tasty, and for the most part, cheap. This has lead some experts to feel that the only way to address the problem would be through a government led change in policy and education, which would require the cooperation of the food industry.

That might not be such an easy sell to restaurants and the makers of processed foods, who’s bottom line is money. Besides, the case can be made that they are simply catering to our demand for salty (and high fat) foods. Furthermore, our bodies actually need sodium to survive.

So the impetus lies with, the consumer, to be aware and know what we’re eating. The information is out there, it’s simply up to us to find it, and in most instances, it can be fairly intuitive. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables (provided that you don’t add excess salt to them) instead of fast food and processed foods, and whenever possible, cook meals from home, where you can keep track of what’s going in.

And whatever you do, don’t let the seductive lure of convenience deceive you, because in the long run it could end up costing you even more.