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Last week I bemoaned the confusing messages that consumers sometimes receive on what's safe and healthy to eat, particularly when we provide plenty of good advice. So I was disappointed to read a headline in The Mail on Sunday that 'Now scientists say (guess what) salt isn't bad for you'. 

Disappointing for two reasons: first because the compelling evidence for an association between salt and blood pressure – which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) – has been described in detail in the report on Salt and Health from the independent experts on the  Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).  And second, because it implies that 'scientists' are somehow changing their minds week in week out on what's good and bad.

This displays a fundamental lack of understanding about how scientific understanding progresses – which is usually incrementally.  So whilst individual studies can lead to conflicting opinions, we always base our advice to the public on an assessment of all of the available evidence – guided by independent experts – rather than the views of one individual scientist.

The study referred to in the Mail on Sunday is in fact a review of existing evidence and actually confirms that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure but questions whether there is a direct link between salt and CVD.  This is mainly because of the difficulties of carrying out large studies of the effect of salt on CVD as CVD usually takes a long time to manifest and because CVD has a number of causes.  However, since high blood pressure is a major risk factor for CVD then reducing blood pressure will also lower the risk of CVD.

So please don't give up the attempts to reduce your salt intake – it is sensible advice backed by good science.