Salt Vindicated in Heart Health Shocker

I’ve got some news that’s will make your next meal a whole lot tastier.

For years, I’ve been telling you that there’s no concrete evidence that moderate sodium intake is bad for your heart.

Well, the science is finally catching up.

A new study confirmed what I’ve been saying all along: severely restricting salt intake doesn’t do a lick of good for heart failure patients.

In fact, it might even make things worse.

Now, before we dive in, let me be clear: I’m not telling you to go crazy with the salt shaker.

However, this new research shows that the extreme salt restrictions many doctors push on their patients do more harm than good.

Researchers reviewed a bunch of studies on salt intake and heart failure. What they found might surprise you…

• Strict salt restriction doesn’t save lives or keep people out of the hospital.
• Moderate salt intake (about 3 to 4.5 grams a day) might actually improve the quality of life for heart failure patients.
• That super-strict “drink only 1 liter of fluid a day” rule? It’s unnecessary and just makes patients miserable.

Now, this likely flies in the face of everything you’ve been told. But hear me out.

The problem with those old studies is that they were small and lacked consistency. Some looked at hospital patients, others at outpatients and some included people with different types of heart failure.

But when you put it all together, one thing becomes clear: severely cutting salt doesn’t help.

In fact, one big study (SODIUM-HF) was stopped early because it was clear that strict salt restriction wasn’t doing any good.

If you have heart failure, aim for 2 to 3 grams of sodium daily. That’s about a teaspoon of salt.

If you’re in and out of the hospital frequently due to fluid buildup, you might need to be a bit more careful. But even then, 3 to 4.5 grams a day is probably fine (but be sure to consult with your doctor).

I’m also not saying you should start eating like a teenager at a fast-food joint—processed foods are still the enemy. They’re loaded with far too much sodium and other junk that tank your health in the long run.

Instead of eating processed foods and being hyper-focused on salt switch to whole, fresh foods. Use a little salt to make your veggies tasty and enjoy some naturally salty foods like olives or a bit of cheese.

The key is moderation. A little salt makes food delicious and might even be good for you.

And here’s a bonus: When you’re not stressing about every grain of salt, you’re likelier to stick to a healthy diet overall.

P.S. Tasty snack trick SLASHES heart disease risk 25%!

SOURCE:

Raggi, P. Sodium and fluid intake restriction in heart failure: time to move on. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, July 2024.