You’ve heard it before: Americans eat too much salt. But a new study offers fresh and urgent evidence that lowering your sodium intake—especially when paired with a heart-healthy eating plan like the DASH diet—could significantly reduce your risk of serious heart problems down the road.

Published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study from researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that both reducing salt and following the DASH diet independently lowered 10-year risk scores for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). That’s the medical term for the kind of artery damage that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and chest pain. Combine the two, and the benefits stack up.

“Our findings support the need for ongoing public health policy prioritizing population-wide efforts at salt reduction, even at modest results,” said lead author Dr. Hanna M. Knauss.“The data suggest even moderate sodium reduction can be beneficial and may be a more feasible goal to maintain.”

The Sodium Problem: Not Just a Saltshaker Issue

The average American consumes over 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day—far above the federal guideline of 2,300 mg, and more than double the American Heart Association’s target of 1,500 mg. But most of that doesn’t come from sprinkling salt on your fries. It’s hidden in processed foods, restaurant meals, breads, deli meats, and soups.

All that excess sodium is a major driver of high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States.

What’s the DASH Diet, and Why Does It Work?

Developed through NIH-sponsored research, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been a gold standard in blood pressure control for years. It’s heavy on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins (like fish and beans), while cutting back on sodium, red meat, saturated fat, and sugar.

“Compared to the typical American, high-sodium diet, reducing sodium to the recommended levels or even lower markedly decreased cardiovascular disease risk scores,” said senior author Dr. Stephen Juraschek.

The Study: Realistic Dietary Tweaks With Real Benefits

The research team enrolled 390 adults with elevated blood pressure but no history of heart disease. Participants were randomly assigned to either the DASH diet or a typical American diet. Within those groups, they also consumed different sodium levels:

• High (like the average American eats)
• Medium (matching federal guidelines)
• Low (below recommended levels)

After 12 weeks, researchers used participants’ data to calculate their 10-year ASCVD risk scores—a common tool doctors use to estimate future heart disease risk. Both lower sodium intake and the DASH diet led to improvements, even if people didn’t hit ultra-low salt targets. But the biggest gains came from doing both.

Takeaways for Real Life

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Even moderate cuts in sodium made a meaningful difference. And while switching to the DASH diet might sound like a big shift, it’s more doable than you’d think:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Swap red meat for fish or beans
• Cutting out processed snacks and packaged foods
• Use spices instead of salt to boost flavor

The study’s results suggest these simple changes could have major long-term health benefits, especially for groups that are at higher risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

The study underscores the important of whole, unprocessed food, particular plant-based diets and reducing overall salt intake to prevent cardiovascular disease. It also reminds us all the way salt is hidden in food prepared for us to our own detriment.

HM Knauss et al. Dietary sodium reduction lowers 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score: Results from the DASH-sodium trial. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology(2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2025.100980