The research: Researchers examined salt consumption and health data of nearly 275,000 people. Compared to those who followed a low-salt diet plan, people who fell somewhere in the 2,645 to 4,945 mg range enjoyed lower mortality rates, as well as fewer cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke. What it means: The CDC and the American Heart Association currently recommend that adults under age 50 limit their salt intake to 2,300 mgs. For those over 50, that recommendation drops to 1,500 mgs. But when you lower your daily salt consumption below 2,300 mgs, your kidneys and adrenal glands start pumping out sodium-conserving hormones that research has tied to higher mortality rates, as well as higher disease rates, Graudal explains. The fact that many people who start a low-salt diet are sick or at an increased risk for heart disease to begin with could explain why low sodium levels are associated with worse health outcomes, he adds. But according to his study data, mortality and disease rates didn’t rise among people taking in 3,700 to 4,900 mgs of sodium daily compared to those consuming 2,600 to 3,699 mgs. If salt is so unhealthy, Graudal says, then there should have been an upward trend in death and disease rates as people ate more salt. The bottom line: Last year, the international Institute of Medicine released a report calling into question the benefit of low-salt diets. This new research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that salt may be wrongly blamed for many heart- or hypertension-related health issues. It’s possible that how people consume salt—usually in highly processed, highly caloric pre-packaged meals or fast foods—is the real problem, not the salt itself. Graudal says there’s evidence that consuming more than 5,000 mgs of sodium daily may be unhealthy, but that very few people eat that much salt. Most people—roughly 95% of the population—consume salt at levels that aren’t dangerous, he stresses. More from Prevention: The 100 Cleanest Packaged Foods You Can Buy
