Most South Africans are getting too much sodium from the foods they eat. If you are not already aware, the sodium found in salt (sodium chloride) plays a role in hypertension or high blood pressure. The current dietary guidelines suggest that adults and children 14 years and older need to have less than 2300 milligrams of sodium a day. Adults with hypertension need to reduce it further to 1500 milligrams a day as it may help to lower blood pressure.