s ▁disease , ▁this ▁extra ▁int ake ▁may ▁cause ▁a ▁negative ▁effect ▁on ▁health . ▁ ▁Health ▁effects ▁ ▁A ▁low ▁sod ium ▁di et ▁has ▁a ▁useful ▁effect ▁to ▁reduce ▁blood ▁pressure , ▁both ▁in ▁people ▁with ▁hy pert ension ▁and ▁in ▁people ▁with ▁normal ▁blood ▁pressure . ▁T aken ▁together , ▁a ▁low ▁salt ▁di et ▁( med ian ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 4 . 4 ▁g / day ▁– ▁appro x ▁ 1 8 0 0   m g ▁sod ium ) ▁in ▁hy pert ensive ▁people ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁decrease ▁in ▁syst ol ic ▁blood ▁pressure ▁by ▁ 4 . 2 ▁mm H g , ▁and ▁in ▁di ast ol ic ▁blood ▁pressure ▁by ▁ 2 . 1 ▁mm H g . ▁ ▁Ad vis ing ▁people ▁to ▁eat ▁a ▁low ▁salt ▁di et , ▁however , ▁is ▁of ▁unclear ▁effect ▁in ▁either ▁hy pert ensive ▁or ▁normal ▁t ensive ▁people . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁British ▁Journal ▁Heart ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁claim ing ▁that ▁a ▁low ▁salt ▁di et ▁appears ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁death ▁in ▁those ▁with ▁con gest ive ▁heart ▁failure , ▁but ▁the ▁article ▁was ▁ret ract ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁The ▁article ▁was ▁ret ract ed ▁by ▁the ▁journal ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁the ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁studies ▁c ited ▁contained ▁duplicate ▁data ▁that ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁verified . ▁ ▁A ▁doctor ▁might ▁pres cribe ▁a ▁low ▁sod ium ▁di et ▁for ▁patients ▁with ▁Di ab