Not Salt's Fault?

New research raises doubt about whether cutting dietary sodium reduces risk of death from heart disease.

Written byJef Akst

| 1 min read

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For years, doctors have recommended reducing salt intake as a way to lower blood pressure and, presumably, risk of dying from heart attacks and other diseases. But a literature review published this week in the American Journal of Hypertension, found “no clear evidence” that sodium reduction can help save lives, The Washington Post reports. Seven studies of more than 6,000 adults with normal or high blood pressure who ate less salt were no less likely to die, though they did, on average, experience a small decrease in blood pressure.

The study, commissioned by the Cochrane Collaboration, does not rule out the possibility that reducing salt can be beneficial, however, and the researchers call for more research to better understand the effects of dietary sodium.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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