This Functional MD Wants You To Transform Your Relationship With Salt 

Salt has quite the bad rap. Many associate the mineral with heart disease and stroke—one study even found that reducing salt intake could lower blood pressure1 (which is linked to those aforementioned health concerns). That's why we were stunned to find this little tidbit from Frank Lipman, M.D.'s The New Rules of Aging Well: "It's nonsense that salt is bad for your heart." Quite a bold statement from the functional medicine physician, one that he backs wholeheartedly on the mindbodygreen podcast.

The reason salt earned its reputation is that it's abundant in ultraprocessed, industrial foods. "That's where most of your salt is," says Lipman. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) notes that people consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day—the recommended amount, for reference, is no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day2—and most of it comes from processed, prepackaged food, not what you sprinkle on at the table.

Since these processed foods are associated with metabolic dysfunction already (which is linked to heart-related concerns), it makes sense that there'd be hesitation about salt. But it's not so much about limiting the salt itself—we should take it easy on the processed junk that contains those waves upon waves of sodium.