Two new studies from France and the United Kingdom have found that lowering the amount of salt in packaged and prepared foods could help prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke, and even early death.
The research, published in the journal Hypertension, shows that small changes in the sodium levels of common foods can make a big difference for public health.
Too much sodium, mostly from salt, is a leading cause of high blood pressure (also called hypertension). High blood pressure raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia.
The World Health Organization says adults should eat less than 2,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg per day and ideally less than 1,500 mg. But most people eat much more than that, often without realizing it.
Many countries, including France and the U.K., are working to reduce sodium in the foods people eat every day. These new studies show what could happen if food companies meet new salt-reduction goals—without requiring people to change what they eat.
In France, bread is a big part of daily meals and is also one of the top sources of salt. A single baguette can provide up to 25% of a person’s daily salt intake.
In 2022, the French government and bread makers agreed to lower the amount of salt in bread by 2025. By 2023, most bread was already meeting the new targets. Researchers used national data and a computer model to estimate how this would impact health.
They found that if people kept eating the same amount of bread but with less salt, it could reduce daily salt intake by 0.35 grams per person. This could lower blood pressure slightly across the population. The model showed that each year, around 1,186 fewer people could die from heart disease and stroke.
Hospitalizations for heart attacks and strokes would also decrease. Men would benefit slightly more than women, though women aged 55 to 64 would see the greatest benefit among females.
In the U.K., researchers looked at 2024 salt-reduction targets for 84 types of grocery foods and 24 types of restaurant or takeaway meals. These include bread, cheese, meats, snacks, burgers, pizza, and curries.
They estimated how much salt people eat from these foods using national diet surveys. If the targets were met, average salt intake could drop from 6.1 grams to 4.9 grams per day—a 17.5% reduction.
Over 20 years, this drop in salt could prevent about 103,000 heart disease cases and 25,000 strokes. It could also add about 243,000 healthy years of life to the population and save the U.K.’s National Health Service around £1 billion (or $1.3 billion). Men would benefit slightly more because they usually eat more salt.
Researchers say this strategy is powerful because it doesn’t rely on people changing their habits. Instead, it makes the food environment healthier by default. These salt cuts are done quietly, so people don’t even notice the difference in taste.
However, the studies do have some limits. The results are based on models, not real-time tracking. Also, some of the food data may be slightly outdated, and people may underreport what they eat, especially from takeout meals.
Still, experts agree that reducing salt in packaged foods could be a key way to fight heart disease worldwide. This is especially important in places like the U.S. where many meals are eaten outside the home.
As Dr. Daniel W. Jones from the American Heart Association explains, even small drops in blood pressure can lead to big health benefits when applied across a whole population.
Together, these studies show that when governments and food companies work together to lower salt in everyday foods, the impact on public health can be huge—saving lives, reducing illness, and lowering healthcare costs, all without people having to change their diet.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about what to eat and to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the connection between potato and high blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
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