A new study published in the European Heart Journal finds that adding salt to your food, as distinct from using salt in a recipe, could be bad for your health, leading to a greater risk of a lower life expectancy and premature death. However, people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium, along with added salt, should have no greater risk to their life expectancy.
Nicole Lou writes in MedPageToday that this study, over nine years, found that people who add salt to their diet often ended up more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. People eating more salt did not see a heightened risk of death from dementia.
In the US, the salt that people add to their meals, before digging in, represents between six and 20 percent of the total amount of sodium chloride they consume. So, if you are healthy, and you eat fruits and vegetables rich in potassium, you likely do not need to give another thought to the salt you add to your meals. Focus more on the fruits and vegetables!
No one knows how much salt is the “right amount” to use. But, if you are not healthy, there is every reason for you to reduce the amount of salt you add to your meals at the table. It should help to lower your blood pressure and your risk of premature death.
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