Should you eat more salt or less?

Ken D. BerryMD · family physician, Tennessee

More. Most people eating a low-carbohydrate diet need more salt, not less.

What it rests onHis eighth core principle, stated flatly with no mechanism attached: 'Salt is not the enemy. Most people on PHD need more, not less.' He gives no physiological argument for it anywhere on his own site, and no amount either. He also holds affiliate relationships with three salt or electrolyte vendors and sells a mineral product, so the advice and the commerce point the same way, which is worth knowing as you weigh it.

Michael GregerMD · founder, NutritionFacts.org

Less. Cutting about half a teaspoon a day would prevent a meaningful share of strokes and fatal heart attacks.

What it rests onHis words: 'If we could cut our salt intake by a half teaspoon a day, which is achievable by avoiding salty foods, and not adding salt to our food, we might prevent 22% of stroke deaths, and 16% of fatal heart attacks.' In the same video his practical instruction is to look at processed food and injected chicken rather than the shaker: he puts roughly three quarters of dietary salt in processed food and calls the individual approach impractical on its own. He names no exception for low-carbohydrate eaters or for people with high sodium losses.