People eat too much salt but surprising report questions if eating too little could be harmful

WASHINGTON – A surprising new report questions how sharply Americans should cut back on salt.

Make no mistake: Most Americans eat way too much, not just from salt shakers but because of sodium in processed foods.

The Institute of Medicine said Tuesday there’s no evidence that cutting well below established guidelines offers any benefit — even though that’s recommended for certain people at high risk of heart disease. There are some suggestions that going way too low might harm certain patients.

Most Americans eat more than 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day, well above national guidelines saying the general population should eat 2,300 mg. But those guidelines urge getting as low as 1,500 mg for certain people including those over 50, blacks and patients with high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease.