Too Much Salt Makes Your Heart Sick
Lowering Sodium Intake: Reduction and Substitution for Cardiovascular Health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Eating too much salt raises blood pressure and can lead to heart problems. Most people eat way more than doctors recommend. In rich countries, salt comes from packaged foods; in poorer countries, it’s added while cooking. Eating more fruits and veggies (which have potassium) can help protect your heart even more.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce added salt at home and choose fresh fruits and vegetables to naturally increase potassium intake.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Eating too much salt raises blood pressure and can lead to heart problems. Most people eat way more than doctors recommend. In rich countries, salt comes from packaged foods; in poorer countries, it’s added while cooking. Eating more fruits and veggies (which have potassium) can help protect your heart even more.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce added salt at home and choose fresh fruits and vegetables to naturally increase potassium intake.
Publication
Journal
International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
Nan Hu, R. McLean
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who eat less than 2,300 mg of salt per day for a long time are 25% less likely to die from any cause than people who eat more than 3,600 mg of salt per day.
If you eat less salt, your blood pressure tends to go down, and you’re less likely to have a stroke, heart problems, or die early.
Eating too much salt is linked to higher blood pressure and a greater risk of heart problems in adults.
On average, people around the world eat way more salt than doctors recommend—about twice as much. Health experts say we should eat less than 5 grams a day, but most of us are eating nearly 11 grams.
In rich countries, most salt in our food comes from packaged snacks and restaurant meals, but in poorer countries, people usually add salt themselves while cooking or use salty sauces like soy sauce.