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Salt restriction increases risk of heart disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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It's common knowledge that cutting back on salt can lower blood pressure. But new research shows that cutting back on salt can actually raise cholesterol, triglycerides, and other risk factors for heart disease.
At this point, it's not entirely clear what long-term health implications these blood changes might have.
"In my opinion, people shouldn't worry about their salt intake at all," said study author Dr Niels Graudal, a senior consultant in internal medicine and rheumatology at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
For decades, health experts have been saying that cutting sodium reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. And there's a major new push by the government to cut salt in processed foods by law.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines currently recommend that people ages 2 and older limit their daily sodium intake to 2,300 mg. People ages 51 and older with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should limit their salt intake to 1,500 mg per day, experts say.
The American Heart Association recommends that 1,500 milligrams of salt per day is the recommended amount that all Americans should consume. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, which is a lot by the standard.
But is this true?
An international team of scientists found that lower sodium levels were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular deaths, while higher sodium levels were not associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension or heart disease complications in healthy people.
A large study published this week analyzed data from 167 studies that compared high-sodium and low-sodium diets.
Reducing salt intake did lower blood pressure in Europeans, African Americans, and Asians with normal or high blood pressure.
At the same time, reducing the salt content in the diet led to a significant increase in the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, the enzyme renin (involved in the regulation of blood pressure) and the hormones norepinephrine and adrenaline, which can affect blood pressure and heart rate.
At this point, scientists don't understand how these changes might affect the long-term likelihood of heart attacks or strokes.
The study's findings showed that people react differently to salt intake. "There are some who are more sensitive to salt than others," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
As for the general public, the message remains the same: "Reducing salt is better for your health," Steinbaum said.
But even people who do keep their salt intake within healthy limits should be aware that it is not enough to prevent the risk of heart disease and stroke. "People need to improve their lifestyle, eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fiber, and be physically active and exercise," said Karen Congro, director of the Wellness Program at Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City. "Cutting salt is not going to solve your problems 100 percent."
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