A new study, the result of a collaboration between researchers and doctors, proposes a paradigm shift based on scientific evidence: not absolution, but rather the rehabilitation of salt, a precious resource to be managed with balance and responsibility, at the table but also in public health communication and strategies.

Because if too much salt is bad, too little can also lead to serious health consequences.

Rome, March 27, 2026. For years, we've been told to hide the salt shaker because salt is bad for you. Now, new scientific evidence suggests that for the heart, brain, and metabolism, less isn't always better. Health outcomes related to sodium intake follow a U-shaped relationship, with both excessive and insufficient salt intake associated with increased health risks, reinforcing the importance of avoiding both chronic overexposure and extreme restriction. Salt itself isn't harmful; it's the imbalance that is.

This is, in short, what emerges from the new White Paper, sponsored and drafted by a pool of researchers from theCampus Bio Medico University of Rome* At the invitation of Compagnia Italiana Sali e Atisale, the aim is not to absolve but to rehabilitate salt. It highlights, based on up-to-date scientific evidence, the physiological role of salt in the human body, promotes a balanced vision of it, based on the concept of moderation and awareness rather than on demonization or prohibition, and offers a responsible communication tool to decision-makers, healthcare professionals, and journalists.

The U-Curve Paradox


For decades, the message regarding salt consumption has been unequivocal: "Cut salt, save your heart." But human physiology is not simple. Massive epidemiological studies, such as the famous PURE Study of over 90.000 people, have depicted a different reality, a U-shaped curve. What does this mean? Mortality increases if you eat too much salt (over 5-6g of sodium), but it also increases dramatically if you consume too little (under 3g). Our body, in fact, is an electrical machine: without sodium, impulses fail, fluids are not regulated, life stops. The concepts of "excess" and "deficiency" therefore become central, as they shift the discussion from salt itself to balance, that is, an appropriate salt intake. Not only that, the very concept of balance is not necessarily tied to absolute values, since living organisms are characterized by dynamic equilibria, closely linked to individual lifestyles and eating habits.

The Three Silent Damages of Deficiency


While everyone is watching high blood pressure, an opposite drama is unfolding in the clinics, often ignored:

1.              The decline of the elderly isn't always "old age." Thousands of seniors arrive in the emergency room with unexplained falls or confusion that seem like the onset of dementia. The cause? Often it's hyponatremia (low blood sodium), caused by overly strict low-sodium diets. The brain, deprived of its "controller," goes haywire. Restoring the right amount of salt to these people often means seeing them experience cognitive "rebirth" and regain their balance.

2.              The heart that suffers from "starvation." For years, salt has been withheld from patients with heart failure. Today, meta-analyses in journals like JACC reveal a disturbing paradox: aggressive restriction can increase mortality. Without sodium, blood volume drops too much, and the body reacts by producing stress hormones that strain an already weak heart.

3.              Metabolism is blocked. Salt transports glucose into cells. If we eliminate it, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin (insulin resistance), opening the door to metabolic dysfunction and pre-diabetes.

It's not just chemistry: the value of the Matrix


Then there's a fundamental misunderstanding. When we talk about "salt," we think of the pure chemical molecule (NaCl) found in ultra-processed industrial foods. But sea salt, harvested in salt pans, is a "complex matrix." It contains trace elements—magnesium, potassium, calcium—that modulate flavor and interact with the body differently. A whole salt adds more salt and better flavor, allowing us to use less for more flavor. It's a gastronomic paradox: quality allows for moderation, while the lack of quality leads to overuse.

The Iodine Policy


Finally, it should not be forgotten that iodized salt remains a key public health tool for preventing iodine deficiency and supporting normal thyroid function and neurological development, and is widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective preventive strategies in global health policies.

Towards Conscious Balance


Given the results of this study, which highlight a U-shaped relationship between sodium intake and health outcomes, reinforcing the need to avoid both chronic excess and prolonged severe restriction, a renewed approach is needed not only to public health strategies but also to nutritional communication that effectively reaches the broader population. The historical demonization of salt can and must be reframed, emphasizing balance rather than condemnation. Educating people about informed, balanced, and therefore responsible consumption is a broader socio-cultural challenge, and salt can rightly be considered a paradigm for this. the professor concluded Marta Bertolaso, Research Unit of Philosophy of Science and Human Development ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.


If excess remains a mistake, indiscriminate fear is an equal and opposite error. The new White Paper proposes a shift in public health and communication strategies, moving from a generalized reduction in sodium to an approach based on moderation, personalization, and contextualization of intake, taking into account lifestyle, physical activity level, and individual physiological needs, evaluating it within overall dietary patterns, rather than as an isolated nutrient: "Today we are here to talk about salt... a millenary raw material, a fundamental ingredient in Mediterranean culture and cuisine, and yet, for decades, it has been demonized by public opinion, never based on structured scientific studies, which has generated a distorted perception at all social levels. This is why we decided to consult a group of professors and researchers from theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma in order to conduct a targeted study resulting in the drafting of a White Paper on the topic, i.e. on the importance of a correct and balanced salt intake for human health" has explained Andrea Pedrazzini, Director of Marketing and Communications for Italy, Cis and Atisale.

It's time to stop demonizing this millennia-old crystal as a public enemy and start treating it for what it is: a precious resource, to be managed with intelligence, culture, and, why not, a pinch of taste.