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Salt, How Much Is Too Much?
The debate over dietary salt is among the most contentious in the field of nutrition.
For years we've been told that we are eating too much salt, and that this excess can contribute to the onset of health problems.
But this longstanding warning has recently come under assault by scientists in the USA who say that typical American salt consumption is without risk.
Moreover, according to studies published in recent years by pillars of the medical community, the low levels of salt recommended by the government might actually be dangerous.
Under the current dietary guidelines, too much is more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day - the amount of sodium in a teaspoon of salt. According to the latest research, a healthy person can consume as much as 6,000 milligrams per day without significantly raising health risks. But consuming too little - somewhere below 3,000 milligrams - also raises health risks, they say.
For years we've been told that we are eating too much salt, and that this excess can contribute to the onset of health problems.
But this longstanding warning has recently come under assault by scientists in the USA who say that typical American salt consumption is without risk.
Moreover, according to studies published in recent years by pillars of the medical community, the low levels of salt recommended by the government might actually be dangerous.
Under the current dietary guidelines, too much is more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day - the amount of sodium in a teaspoon of salt. According to the latest research, a healthy person can consume as much as 6,000 milligrams per day without significantly raising health risks. But consuming too little - somewhere below 3,000 milligrams - also raises health risks, they say.