{"id":1449,"date":"2016-04-06T15:30:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T19:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=1449"},"modified":"2026-04-16T12:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:10:00","slug":"salt-good-or-bad-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/salt-good-or-bad-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Is salt bad for you? Here\u2019s why scientists can\u2019t agree"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to sodium chloride, better known as salt, there\u2019s one thing all scientists and doctors agree on: Your body needs some amount of it. Sodium helps regulate the body\u2019s fluid levels and blood pressure and is essential for muscle and nerve function.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But when it comes to how much sodium we need\u2014or, more importantly, how much sodium is too much\u2014that\u2019s where the disagreements begin. Health organizations have linked excess sodium intake to cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, heart disease, and increased risk for heart attacks and strokes, but many doctors think that most people are fine consuming salt and actually need it for a healthy lifestyle. People with kidney disease <\/span>are thought to have improvement<\/span> if they avoid high salt intake. So which is it, and why is the medical community split on the answer?<\/span><\/p>\n

Is salt good or bad for you?<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard or read somewhere that eating too much salt is bad for you. In fact, there have been thousands of articles written on that exact subject, but those articles haven\u2019t always examined the full scope of the relationship between salt intake and heart health. <\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> by Columbia University and Boston University looked at 269 salt-intake-related academic papers written between 1979 and 2014 and found that there was deep disagreement among the authors. The study judged whether each paper \u201csupported or refuted the link between reduced sodium intake and lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and death\u201d and found that 54% supported the idea, 33% refuted the idea, and 13% were inconclusive. They also found that the papers\u2019 authors on either side of the issue were \u201cmore likely to cite reports that drew a similar conclusion than to cite reports drawing a different conclusion.\u201d This calls into question how trustworthy the papers really were.<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth is that salt is both good and bad for you. Keeping a healthy amount of sodium in your system is essential for life, but having too much or too little can be dangerous and lead to long-term health problems. The <\/span>American Heart Association (AHA) recommends<\/span><\/a> \u201cno more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day and moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem is that Americans eat, on average, 3,400 mg of sodium per day. That\u2019s more than twice as much sodium as the AHA recommends. We cook salty meals and usually add more salt to them when they arrive at the table. Processed and prepared foods can be even higher in sodium. For most people, it can seem unrealistic to maintain a rate of 2,300 mg of sodium a day\u2014much less 1,500 mg. Still, it can be done with a limited diet and careful monitoring of salt intake, but is it worth it?<\/span><\/p>\n

The health benefits of salt<\/h2>\n

Sodium is an electrolyte, which is a mineral that can carry an electric charge when it\u2019s dissolved in a liquid like blood. As such, it serves an important role in the cardiovascular system and the body\u2019s metabolism. Sodium helps the body maintain normal fluid levels and plays a key role in nerve and muscle function. People used to believe that consuming more salt would make you thirstier, but a <\/span>study in the <\/span>Journal of Clinical Investigation<\/span><\/i><\/a> found that eating more salt actually led to increased body water conservation, making people less thirty. Many providers take this to mean that, given enough salt and water, the body is capable of choosing its preferred level of sodium.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the AHA, our bodies can operate just fine on less than 500 mg of sodium per day. That\u2019s less than one quarter of a teaspoon of salt. But that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that a low-salt diet is better for you than a regular diet. Studies have shown that diets that are in the middle ranges salt-wise\u2014those considered low usual, usual, and high usual sodium intakes\u2014don\u2019t show a significant difference in overall health outcomes for most people. Diets considered low sodium intake, on the other hand, <\/span>can be nearly as unhealthy<\/span><\/a> as those that are high in sodium.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of salt<\/h2>\n

More than 70% of the average American\u2019s sodium intake comes through packaged, prepared, and restaurant foods. The rest is mostly the kind you\u2019re sprinkling on by yourself, and it comes in a wide array of choices. There\u2019s kosher salt, sea salt, table salt, iodized salt, pink salt, even Hawaiian salt and Himalayan salt. They\u2019re all about the same when it comes to nutritional values, with the exception of iodized salt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is iodized salt good for you?<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cWhat we do in the U.S. and a lot of places in the world is put iodine in the salt,\u201d says <\/span>Kristy Bates<\/span><\/a>, a registered nutritionist-dietitian with Aspen Valley Hospital in Colorado. She says that\u2019s a good thing because iodine helps prevent hypothyroidism, which can leadto goiter (an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland). In several parts of the world, <\/span>iodine is deficien<\/span><\/a>t in the diet, therefore, iodine is mixed with the edible salt to avoid iodine deficiency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources of sodium intake<\/h2>\n

If you want to put the salt shaker away and don\u2019t like packaged or prepared foods, you can eat healthy and still get enough sodium through sources like meats, shellfish, beets, celery, carrots, cantaloupe, spinach, chard, artichokes, and seaweed. Good liquid sources of sodium include milk and coconut water. Sports drinks tend to overdo things with the sodium and sugar, according to Bates, so she had a tip for weekend warriors rehydrating that way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne bottle of sports drink you can actually stretch into three,\u201d she said. \u201cThe more optimal formula for electrolyte replenishment would be a third of what\u2019s in a sports drink bottle. So split it up, and you can get three for the price of one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The health risks of salt<\/h2>\n

Most healthcare providers recommend that most people get less sodium in their diets. High sodium levels in the blood can cause inflammation. Over time, inflammation is a <\/span>risk factor<\/span><\/a> for a number of serious health problems, including high blood pressure, stomach cancer, kidney stones, headaches, osteoporosis, stroke, and heart failure.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cInflammation is kind of a silent killer,\u201d Bates says. \u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily realize that you\u2019re inflamed. It\u2019s not necessarily painful, so it can go on for 20 years, and you won\u2019t realize it until your blood vessels are compromised.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens when you have too much salt?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hypernatremia\u2014too much sodium in the blood\u2014is essentially the same as dehydration, when there is too little water in the body. In acute cases it\u2019s usually not caused by eating too much salt. Instead, it can be brought on by not drinking enough water, severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, kidney disease, diabetes insipidus (loss of water hormone), certain medications, and large burn areas on the skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of hypernatremia include:<\/span><\/p>\n