The Study
Lowering Sodium Intake: Reduction and Substitution for Cardiovascular Health.
This study doesn't do its own experiments — it just talks about what other studies have found. So it can say 'people who eat more salt often have more heart problems,' but it can't say 'salt causes heart problems.'
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
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.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 51 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — eating more than double the recommended salt increases risk of heart attacks, strokes, and early death.
- 2People eat about 10.78 grams of salt per day on average.
- 3Doctors say you should eat less than 5 grams.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
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.
Eating more fruits and veggies to get more potassium might help your heart even more, especially if you're already trying to eat less salt.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.