For people with slightly high blood pressure, eating more salt seems to raise the risk of dying earlier—even at very low salt levels below what’s usually considered healthy. There’s no sign that eating very little salt is safe or helpful.

People aged 30 to 54 who eat more salt over several years are 12% more likely to die from any cause for every extra 1,000 mg of salt per day—and eating very little salt doesn’t seem to help them live longer.

Eating a lot of salt—more than 7 grams a day—might make people with high blood pressure more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or even die sooner.

Eating too little or too much salt might both be bad for your heart — people who eat way less than 3,000 mg or way more than 6,000 mg of salt a day seem to have a higher chance of heart problems or dying from them.

Eating less salt may help people live longer and avoid heart-related deaths, according to studies that combined results from many other studies.

People who eat very little salt—less than 3 grams a day—are more likely to die or have serious heart problems, even when you account for their blood pressure and other health factors.