Salt

Studies in people

• Concern

  Heart and blood vessel risk²

  In people, salt sensitivity changes blood chemicals that may stiffen arteries and raise heart risk.

• Concern

  Water balance in the body³

  In people, eating lots of salt long-term led to holding onto water, not drinking more.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Blood pressure⁴

  Eating less salt lowers blood pressure, though not everyone reacts to changes in salt the same way.

• Open question

  Blood pressure and taste⁵

  Scientists do not yet know whether eating salt as a baby changes blood pressure or food tastes later in life.

• Concern

  Blood pressure and kidneys⁶

  Salt can raise blood pressure in some people, and the kidneys play a big part in this.

• Concern

  Blood pressure and heart health⁷

  Eating too much salt raises blood pressure, and much of it hides in processed foods rather than the shaker.

How it’s made and used

• Saltiness and texture in food⁸

  Adding psyllium husk powder to low-salt surimi helped it taste saltier and hold together better.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.