A new study suggests that the average amount of salt that an American consumes, which is about 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, is actually a healthy amount.
The daily average of salt intake is higher than recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to WebMD.
"For most people, there is no reason to change their dietary habits concerning salt, as most people eat what appears to be the safest amount," said Dr. Niels Graudal, review author and senior consultant at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Copenhagen University Hospital worked together on the study, which was published Wednesday in the American Journal of Hypertension. The researchers found an association between a range of sodium intake between about 2,600 mg and 5,000 mg per day, which is higher than current guidelines, and a decreased rate of cardiovascular disease and mortality, TODAY Health reported.
The researchers looked at 25 different studies, involving 275,000 participants from different parts of the world. There was no connection found between sodium intake and heart disease, which supports the findings of the report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
An agency representative said that despite the results of the study, the CDC still recommends less than 2,300 mg of salt per day for healthy people under the age of 50, and less than 1,500 mg daily for most people over 50, WebMD reported.
"Nearly everyone benefits from reduced sodium consumption," said Janelle Gunn, a public health analyst in the heart disease and stroke prevention division of the CDC. "Ninety percent of Americans exceed the general daily recommended sodium intake limit of 2,300 mg, increasing their risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke."
Dietary sodium is a required nutrient, and the body needs about one teaspoon of it each day. Evidence has been published connecting a diet with reduced sodium with improvements in the heart, such as decreasing blood pressure, TODAY Health reported.
The new study doesn't suggest that people should consume as much salt as they want. Instead, it states that there is a bigger range of salt intake, depending on individual health and lifestyle, that is good for a person's health.
