What is the recommended daily intake of pink salt for people with hypertension?
Executive summary
Most major health bodies recommend that people — including those with hypertension — keep sodium well below typical modern intakes: the WHO and many guideline bodies target <2,000 mg sodium per day (≈ <5 g salt), while the American Heart Association and some U.S. guidance advise still lower — about 1,500 mg/day for people with high blood pressure [1] [2] [3]. Evidence shows lowering sodium from typical intakes to about 5–6 g salt/day reduces blood pressure, with larger falls in people who already have hypertension [4] [5] [6].
1. Salt limits health systems agree on — a narrow safe zone
Global and regional public-health guidance converges on a modest numeric target: the World Health Organization and European/ESC guidance recommend limiting sodium to under 2 g/day (equivalent to <5 g salt/day) for the general population and for people with hypertension [1] [7]. Multiple reviews and policy papers reinforce that reducing intake toward roughly 5–6 g salt/day produces measurable population blood‑pressure benefits [4] [2].
2. U.S. cardiology groups push a tougher target for hypertensives
American-focused guidance often sets an even lower benchmark for people with high blood pressure: the American Heart Association and allied resources recommend most adults aim for no more than 1,500 mg sodium daily when managing hypertension [3]. That lower threshold reflects evidence that greater sodium reduction yields larger systolic/diastolic falls in hypertensive patients [4] [6].
3. How much benefit comes from cutting salt — the dose matters
Clinical trials and meta-analyses demonstrate a dose–response: reducing salt intake by a few grams per day lowers blood pressure. Meta-analyses predict that a 3 g/day reduction produces modest but meaningful systolic BP falls, and larger reductions (e.g., 9 g/day) produce larger declines; hypertensive people show proportionally greater benefit [4] [6]. Reviews conclude that reducing average intake from 9–12 g/day toward 5–6 g/day is both feasible and clinically valuable [4] [2].
4. Pink salt is not a special treatment for hypertension
“Pink” or Himalayan salts may contain trace minerals, but they are still predominantly sodium chloride and contribute the same sodium burden as other salts. Public information pieces emphasize that switching salt types without reducing total sodium provides no proven blood‑pressure advantage; all salt sources count toward the daily sodium target [8] [9].
5. Individual differences and caveats — salt sensitivity and comorbidities
Not everyone responds the same way: a sizeable minority are “salt sensitive” and show larger BP increases with sodium intake, and certain groups (older adults, people with diabetes or chronic kidney disease) are singled out as particularly vulnerable in guideline summaries [2] [10]. Some sources state even stricter sodium ceilings (for example, “no more than 1.5 g/day” in particular subgroups) and recommend pairing salt reduction with higher potassium intake (fruits/vegetables) and weight control [2].
6. Practical implications — where sodium hides and how to reduce it
Most sodium in modern diets comes from processed and restaurant foods rather than the salt shaker; therefore effective reduction requires product reformulation, label attention and dietary shifts toward fresh foods and DASH-style patterns. Public-health literature emphasizes policy and industry roles—education alone is unlikely to reach targets without food-system change [1] [11] [2].
7. Limits of current reporting and areas of disagreement
Sources agree lowering sodium reduces blood pressure, especially in hypertensives, but they vary on numeric ceilings: WHO/ESC coalesce around <2,000 mg/day (<5 g salt) while U.S. cardiology guidance often targets 1,500 mg/day for people with hypertension [1] [3]. Some older reviews and a minority of meta-analyses have questioned the magnitude of benefit in normotensive individuals, but the prevailing recent policy literature and systematic reviews endorse population reduction as a priority [10] [12].
8. On what to tell a patient with hypertension today
Available sources support advising people with hypertension to limit total sodium intake — regardless of salt type — and to aim at least for the WHO/ESC target of <2,000 mg sodium/day (~<5 g salt), with consideration of the AHA/US recommendation of ~1,500 mg/day if clinically appropriate and supervised by a clinician. Clinicians should individualize advice, monitor for comorbidities (kidney disease, electrolyte issues) and consider guidance on increasing potassium-rich foods as adjunctive therapy [1] [3] [2].
Limitations: available sources do not mention a universally agreed single “pink salt” limit distinct from other salts; they do not provide a personalized prescription for individual patients — clinical decision-making must integrate patient history and clinician judgment [8] [9].