A blander diet could mean a richer wallet for the United States, if only Americans could cut back on their salt intake. A new study conducted by researchers at the RAND Corporation found Americans consume about 3,400 milligrams of salt per day—which is more than 1,000 mg too much, based on guidelines by the Institute of Medicine. Excess salt in the diet can lead to high blood pressure which can cause heart and kidney problems. The RAND researchers determined that if Americans consumed the recommended 2,300 mg of salt a day, the health care system would have 11 million fewer cases of high blood pressure to treat each year. The savings: $18 billion. And if people could get by on 1,500 mg of salt, the savings would be $26 billion. The problem is that cutting down to these levels will require more than just ignoring the salt shaker. It would require a significant shift away from the processed foods Americans have adopted into their daily lives.