Reducing Salt Content in Bread Can Cut Systolic BP, Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease

MONDAY, Jan. 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing salt in breads and in prepackaged foods could prevent cardiovascular disease, according to two studies published online Jan. 26 in Hypertension.Noting that in March 2022, the Ministries of Health and Food and representatives of the bakery sector in France agreed to progressively reduce the salt content in bread by 2025, Clémence Grave, M.D., from Santé Publique France in Saint-Maurice, and colleagues estimated the fractional reduction of cases of hypertension, including cardio-cerebrovascular, renal, and dementia diseases, that should occur from changing the current level of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the population through this expected reduction in salt in bread. The researchers found that assuming stable bread consumption patterns and full implementation of the measure, the reduction in salt content in bread was estimated to have reduced daily salt intake by 0.35 g, leading to an average reduction of 0.21 mmHg in SBP (0.39 and 0.14 mmHg in hypertensive and normotensive individuals, respectively), translating to a potential impact fraction of 0.78 percent for cardio-cerebrovascular and renal diseases.Lauren Bandy, Ph.D., from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues estimated the potential impact of 2024 salt content targets for pre-prepared and packaged foods on cardiovascular outcomes and health care costs for U.K. adults. The researchers note that salt intake would have reduced from 6.06 to 4.94 g/day if the salt reduction targets had been met, leading to 103,000 and 25,000 fewer cases of ischemic heart disease and stroke, respectively, over 20 years."Both of these modelling studies demonstrate the potential benefit in reducing risk for heart disease and stroke by reducing sodium consumption," Daniel W. Jones, M.D., chair of the 2025 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology High Blood Pressure Guideline Committee, said in a statement. "This 'national' approach to limiting salt content in commercially prepared foods is a key strategy for countries where a major part of food consumption is from foods prepared outside the home. Though sodium reduction makes small improvements in blood pressure at the individual level, these small changes in individuals result in major improvements in a large population."One author from the first study disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text - Grave (subscription or payment may be required)Abstract/Full Text - Bandy.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Reducing Salt Content in Bread Can Cut Systolic BP, Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease

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