But as in all things, moderation is the ultimate key. Salt is linked high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks as too much sodium thickens the blood. The link to obesity is a result of sodium's ability to retain water which weighs heavy. Water rentention may be mistakenly thought of as fat as it will accumulate in the ankles and mid section. Health literature can be confusing with its talk of grams and milligrams.
Drugs can contain large amounts of sodium.
This is especially true of over the counter preparations. Some drug companies are now manufacturing low-sodium drugs due to consumer demand and must declare their sodium content on product labels. In the days of the European explorers such as Christopher Columbus, food was heavily salted and spiced to preserve it to make the long voyage across the sea. Today, although it's no longer necessary to preserve foods in this manner, frozen and canned food companies still salt with a heavy hand. While it is good to use spices instead of adding table salt to your food, check the spice labels as sodium appears naturally to some degree in small amounts in various spices.