Consuming five grams of salt more than usual would have a 23% increased risk of having a stroke and a 17% increased risk of contracting cardiovascular disease.
The two researchers who carried out the study estimate that a reduction in consumption of five grams of salt per day per person, the equivalent of a teaspoon, would prevent more than a million deaths from stroke and nearly three million deaths from cardiovascular disease worldwide each year.
According to them, the effects of this overconsumption of salt are little known, because the amount of salt consumed is often miscalculated.
The authors studied the results of thirteen studies, in which 170,000 people participated. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends five grams of salt per day. But in most Western countries, salt intake per day is close to ten grams per day, according to the study.
Source: www.bmj.com