The Problem with Salt. A New Reason Not to Add Salt.

You knew that adding salt is bad for cardiovascular disease. But did you know it is bad for liver disease too? Here’s one more reason not to add salt.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) as it is now (unfortunately) known, affects around 30% of people in the world. MASLD can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, and it increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes chronic kidney disease and other cancers. Concerningly, it is projected that by 2024, 55.7% of people will have MASLD: that’s most of us!

This new study looked at the dietary salt habits of 492,265 people. It found that people who sometimes added salt had an 11% higher risk of MASLD. People who usually added salt has a 28% higher risk, and people who added it always had 58% higher risk. This means that adding salt significantly increases your risk of MASLD.

When it came to cirrhosis, people who added salt sometimes were at 11% higher risk, and people who added it always were at 32% higher risk. For liver cancer, the risk was even scarier: 26% higher risk for people who add salt sometimes, 45% for usually and 225% for always.

This study found a strong association between adding salt and liver disease, including MASLD, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

European Journal of Nutrition. June 2025;64,224.

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