The way most foods Americans eat is so heavily salted, it's
not very likely you aren't going to get enough sodium in
your diet. Although our bodies need a modicum of salt to
retain water, keep up our blood volume and aid our kidneys
in functioning normally, the American Heart Association
recommends that you limit your sodium intake to about one
and a half a teaspoon per day. Too much salt in ones diet
is not healthy. High salt content may raise blood pressure
in salt sensitive people. Hidden sodium in things like diet
sodas can cause you to actually retain water, making you
look larger than you really are. Finally, over-salting food
numbs the taste buds to what food is supposed to taste like.
This can lead to adding other "taste-enhancements"
to your plate like butter or heavy sauces, which is hard
on your digestion and your waistline. It just makes good
health sense to pass on the saltshaker.
Source: American Journal of Hypertension (4,5:416)
