Is eating too much salt truly harmful? Mainstream medical advice and routine doctor visits may have convinced you that this is a clear-cut “yes,” but the science is anything but uniform. So why isn’t that reflected in common clinical practice?
The salt controversy does more than raise questions about how much salt is too much; it points to the very heart of a little-discussed issue: that much of the medical information we receive isn’t based on scientific consensus, despite the tone of definitive and certainty in statements made by key voices, including our doctors.
We’ve all gotten the message that we tend to eat “too much” salt—and that too much salt is a bad thing. Doctors, dieticians, and health associations have long cautioned that consuming excess sodium can hinder kidney function, raise blood pressure, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and even harm sleep quality….