As the Food and Drug Administration considers whether salt in processed foods should be regulated, some people still might wonder, "How bad can something as simple as salt be?"

Scientific studies have found a connection between too much sodium and high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

When eating fresh, nonprocessed foods, salt's not really an issue.

The hidden store of salt lies in processed foods, says Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., nutritionist and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center.

That's where most people double their recommended daily dose of 2,300 to 2,500 milligrams of salt.

"Ten percent comes from table salt; 75 percent comes from processed foods, like ketchup, soy sauce," she says, adding that by putting soy sauce on sushi, a healthy dish becomes a hazard.

She says a quick reading of a product's label reveals the high salt content of condiments, canned soups, rice and noodle mixes, macaroni and cheese, frozen foods, cereals, breads and deli meats.

Among those urging FDA action to reduce excess salt in food at a recent hearing in Washington, D.C., was the American Medical Association.

"The need for immediate action is clear," said Dr. Stephen Havas, AMA vice president for science, quality and public health. "The deaths attributed to excess salt consumption represent a huge toll -- the equivalent of a jumbo jet with more than 400 passengers crashing every day of the year, year after year."

Retraining a tooth

People with high blood pressure and heart disease probably already know to read labels and buy no-salt and low-salt products, Dr. Fernstrom says.

For the rest, it's not too late to "retrain their salt tooth," as she says.

"Most people don't read labels for salt," she says. "They look at calories, serving size they read for fat, they may read for portion size, and they may read for fiber or salt."

But she adds, "Everyone should look at the salt content, only because it's such a learned behavior. You can make small changes, to get your salt tooth in check. It's especially important for children -- fast food has a lot of salt."

There are some processed foods that have reduced salt content -- organic soups, for example, have less that older brands (she calls canned soup a "sodium nightmare").

Products labeled salt-free or low-salt often cost more. But the difference in taste is pretty small, Dr. Fernstrom says.

"You could take a modest amount of salt out of most processed foods and not alter it."

It doesn't take long, maybe a few weeks, she says, to adjust to less-salted food.

Dr. Fernstrom's advice for otherwise healthy people:

• Don't salt food before tasting.

• Don't add salt in cooking.

• Look for lower-salt products.

• Replace nonprocessed foods with homemade foods.

• When buying deli meats, ask for turkey or ham off the bone.

• Replace salt with spices and other salt-free seasonings.

• Buy frozen vegetables without the processed butter sauce.

"The hidden message in this," Dr. Fernstrom says, "is to have the natural flavor of foods without the salt. The food supply has enough salt to meet your needs."

She says people can learn to change their salt intake without "food police," before they develop heart disease or high blood pressure.

The FDA might help with setting limits to salt in products, "for example, no more than 600 mg in a can of soup."

"Will it improve the health of the nation? Probably not, but why not try it?"

She says some food companies have voluntarily reduced salt, citing Con Agra, which has cut salt by 15 percent to 20 percent.

Not expecting much to change in the near future, Dr. Fernstrom says the FDA's hearing on salt "is a step in the right direction."

So in watching out for salt intake, the consumer now has the final responsibility. It could be a resolution for the New Year.