The ongoing debate about how much salt is optimum is back in the arena following the publication of three new studies which show that people who consumed less than 3,000 milligrams of salt per day were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, and more likely to die, than people who consumed between 3,000 and 6,000 milligrams per day.

The studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, challenge current guidelines that people should limit their intake of sodium to 1.5  to 2.4 grams per day. However, these recommendations are based on projections and have never been tested in clinical trials or other large studies.

You can listen to a great brief round-up of the issue and these trials on the New England Journal of Medicine’s website here.