Research
Mixed
High sodium intake is the leading dietary risk factor for mortality globally, responsible for 3 million deaths annually.
High sodium intake is a major driver of early death globally. To protect your health, aim to reduce your sodium intake to the optimal range of 1-3 grams per day, as excessive consumption significantly increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
High intake of sodium (3 million [1–5] deaths and 70 million [34–118] DALYs)... were the leading dietary risk factors for deaths and DALYs globally
Why this rating
Based on a systematic analysis of 195 countries using comparative risk assessment, though dietary data sources varied.
Source
Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Ashkan Afshin et al. · The Lancet · 2019
DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)30041-8
Meta-analysisCited 5,705×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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