evidence: Last Updated : 10 February 2023Salt has been used to flavour and preserve foods for thousands of years. We all need some salt for good health, but eating too much can increase our blood pressure, increasing our risk of heart disease. Here we discuss how too much salt can increase blood pressure, the relationship between salt and high blood pressure across Europe and what we can do to reduce our salt intake. [...] There is consistent evidence that moderate reductions (i.e., a decrease of 3 to 5 g or ½ to 1 teaspoon a day) in salt intake can lead to a reduction in blood pressure.5,6 However, these effects may not be the same for everyone and will depend on an individual’s starting blood pressure (greater benefits are seen in those with higher blood pressure), their current level of salt intake, genetics, disease status and medication use. Salt is not the only lifestyle factor that can influence our blood pressure. Other factors such as eating enough potassium, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, and being physically active are also important. You can find 7 lifestyle tips to help reduce blood pressure here.