Health Effects of Too Much Sodium in Your Diet

According to the American Heart Association, excess levels of dietary sodium (salt) may put you at risk for:

• Enlarged heart muscle
• Headaches
• Kidney disease
• Osteoporosis
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• Kidney stones
• Stomach cancer

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day and an ideal limit of less than 1,500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure.¹
Here is a detailed infographic from AHA: “Excess Levels of Sodium: How Too Much Sodium Affects Your Health”.

Decreased sodium intake helps to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and end-stage kidney disease. A principal benefit of lowering sodium intake is a corresponding reduction in high blood pressure.²

The World Health Organization (WHO) states an estimated 2.5 million deaths worldwide could be prevented each year if global salt consumption were reduced to the WHO recommended level of approximately 2,000 mg a day.³

References:

1. American Heart Association. Why Should I Limit Sodium?
2. Appel L et al. The importance of population-wide sodium reduction as a means to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke: a call to action from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:1138–1143.
3. World Health Organization. Salt Reduction. April 29, 2020.

Related Reading:

Can Umami Be a Useful Tool for Reducing Sodium in Meals?

MSG Promotes Significant Sodium Reduction and Enjoyment of Better-for-you Foods