Is sodium good or bad for you?

Is sodium good or bad for you?

Hypertension has been an established heart disease risk factor for decades. When blood flows at normal pressure, your vessels stay strong and flexible. Cranked up too high for a long period of time, this pressure can damage your vessel walls, making them stiff and narrow — ultimately increasing your risk for a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke.

Where does sodium come in? You likely learned in high school chemistry that this mineral, a component of salt, retains water. In your blood vessels, more volume means more pressure.

The U.S. government’s sodium intake recommendation of 2.3 grams per day leans heavily on this chemistry lesson, all in the name of heart health.

But this blanket recommendation is largely based on observational data