Is Salt Really Bad for Your Health?

For decades, doctors and other health professionals have cautioned against the overconsumption of salt, believing it contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) currently recommends consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of salt daily for most men and women. However, only a small percentage of people stay within this range. Most men and women consume more than 2,000 milligrams of salt daily, leaving many people to wonder if salt is contributing to chronic illness.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Population Health Research Institute and McMaster University in Canada, however, has found that salt may not be as bad as previously thought. For the study, researchers analyzed health data involving residents in 18 different countries, playing close attention to their consumption of salt as well as heart disease rates.

The study involves more than 95,000 men and women, all of whom were assessed for high blood pressure, while more than 82,000 participants were assessed for heart health. Researchers say they asked participants to fast during the morning so that they could measure their potassium levels. So, what did they find? According to the study, a high sodium intake -- classified as 5 or more grams per day -- was present in 80% of the communities in China, while 84% of all the study's communities averaged about 3 to 5 grams of sodium per day.

Researchers say that participants' blood pressure increased by about 2.86 mmHg for every additional gram of sodium they consumed per day. Here's the thing, though: There was only a notable link between heart disease and sodium in communities that consumed the most sodium.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you can an unlimited amount of sodium without ill effect. Rather, this study suggests that it takes a substantial amount of sodium to cause any real harm to your health. If you go overboard with your sodium intake by adding salt to everything you eat, it may raise your blood pressure and leave you susceptible to heart disease. As long as you proactively control your sodium intake, though, it shouldn't have any noticeable change on your heart health. The key thing to remember is that you should consume sodium in moderation.

"Our study adds to growing evidence to suggest that, at moderate intake, sodium may have a beneficial role in cardiovascular health, but a potentially more harmful role when intake is very high or very low,” said the study's lead author and researcher. “This is the relationship we would expect for any essential nutrient and health. Our bodies need essential nutrients like sodium, but the question is how much.”

This study was published in the medical journal The Lancet.