盐，吃多了不行，少了也不好

The human body needs a tiny amount of sodium to function properly and this is typically found in salt (sodium chloride).

人体需要少量的钠才能正常运转，这通常存在于盐(氯化钠)中。

But today most people consume way too much salt, increasing the burden of cardiovascular disease around the world.

但今天，大多数人摄入了太多的盐，增加了世界各地心血管疾病的负担。

Health professionals have been trying to tackle this problem for decades, but face several barriers, including research that muddies the water about what safe levels of salt intake are.

几十年来，健康专业人士一直在努力解决这个问题，但也面临着一些障碍，包括关于盐摄入量安全水平的研究。

This has cast unnecessary doubt on the importance of reducing intakes.

这使人们对减少摄入量的重要性产生了不必要的怀疑。

But our latest research has found flaws in these studies and suggests that salt intake should be reduced even further than current recommendations.

但我们最新的研究发现这些研究存在缺陷，并建议减少盐的摄入量，甚至应该比目前的建议更少。

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that people consume less than 5 grams of salt a day, but global intakes average 10 grams a day.

世界卫生组织(WHO)建议人们每天摄入的盐少于5克，但全球平均每天摄入10克。

Excess salt consumption raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.

过量食用盐会导致血压升高，从而增加心脏病发作、心力衰竭和中风的风险。

They posit that consuming both less than 7.5 grams and more than 12.5 grams of salt per day could lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

他们假设每天摄入少于7.5克和多于12.5克的盐都会增加心血管疾病和早死的风险。

A gradual reduction in salt intake across the whole population, as recommended by WHO, remains an achievable, affordable, effective and important strategy to prevent cardiovascular diseases and premature death worldwide.

按照世卫组织的建议，在全体人口中逐步减少盐的摄入量仍然是一项可实现的、负担得起的、有效的和重要的战略，可在全世界预防心血管疾病和过早死亡。

Even a small reduction in salt intake will have an enormous benefit on people's health.

即使是少量减少盐的摄入量，也会对人们的健康有巨大的好处。