Cutting back on salt might seem healthy, but for some people who don’t have high blood pressure, it could accidentally raise or lower their blood pressure in ways that aren’t good.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Heterogeneity of blood pressure response to dietary sodium restriction in normotensive adults.

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

This study found that cutting back on salt doesn’t always help everyone’s blood pressure—and in some people, it might even cause unexpected changes. So, telling everyone to eat less salt isn’t always safe.

Contradicting (0)

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Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Heterogeneity of blood pressure response to dietary sodium restriction in normotensive adults.

Score: 20

DOI: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90160-3

Similar Assertions

Eating too much salt might raise your blood pressure, but we’re not sure if cutting back on salt actually helps prevent heart problems because no big, fair studies have proven it yet.

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As people get older, their blood pressure tends to react more wildly when they eat less salt—meaning older folks might be more sensitive to how much salt they consume.

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Cutting down on salt can lower your blood pressure, and the more salt you cut, the more your blood pressure drops—especially if it was already high to begin with.

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Adding more salt to a diet that’s already salty doesn’t make blood pressure go up — it seems like the body has already maxed out its response to salt.

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Most people over 50 — even those with normal blood pressure or on blood pressure pills — see their blood pressure drop when they eat less salt.

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