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The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the longstanding, international debate over salt and sodium guidelines and whether or not our current targets are set too low for optimal health. A new study came out recently in the New England Journal of Medicine supporting the belief that cutting back on sodium too much actually poses health hazards, including premature death. This study found that those who consumed fewer than 3,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day had a 27% higher risk of death or a serious event such as a heart attack or stroke in that period than those whose intake was estimated at 3,000 to 6,000 mg.

While many researchers supported the findings as further evidence corroborating with other studies done in the past few years, there are many still who adamantly support the recommendations to consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily; the most notable of these advocates being the American Heart Association. It amazes me that this is still a debate, with the amount of evidence that has accumulated to this point discrediting the current guidelines and demonstrating that they may do more harm than good if adhered to.

In fact, I've written an entire series on salt, explaining the physiological requirements for salt and theories on the "optimal" dietary salt range. In this series, I present evidence for the dangers of too little and too much salt, and give recommendations for the type and amount of salt to include in the diet. Let's just say my conclusions don't support those of the AHA recommending 2,300 mg per day! You'll have to read the series to learn more and to discover the best way to include salt in your diet in a healthy way.