Should Americans eat more salt?

WASHINGTON (AP):

A surprising new report questions efforts to get Americans to sharply cut back on salt, saying getting to super-low levels may not be worth the struggle.

Make no mistake: Most Americans eat way too much, not just from salt shakers but because of sodium hidden inside processed foods and restaurant meals. Yesterday's report stresses that, overall, the nation needs to ease back on the sodium for better heart health.

But there's no good evidence that eating super-low levels, below the 2,300 milligrams a day that the government recommends for most people, offers benefits even though national guidelines urge that certain high-risk patients do just that, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded.

Also, there are some hints, albeit from studies with serious flaws, that eating the lowest levels might actually harm certain people who already have a serious illness, the report added. The prestigious group, which advises the government about health, urged more research to find the best target range.

"We're not saying we shouldn't be lowering excessive salt intake," said Dr Brian Strom of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the IOM committee. But below 2,300mg a day, "there is simply a lack of data that shows it is beneficial."