America loves its salt, and perhaps rightfully so as it makes food taste great, but 9 out of 10 Americans get too much sodium each day. (4) Overconsumption is one of the top causes of hypertension, which in turn increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Understanding how to limit salt consumption can go a long way in reducing overall chronic disease cases. 

Health organizations across the country strongly advocate for increased herb and spice intake to reduce salt consumption. The main reason is that they add a bunch of flavor, which reduces the need for extra salt. Dishes that replaced 50% of salt with herbs and spices were enjoyed the same amount as those that had the standard amount of salt. (5)

On top of causing high blood pressure, salt does not offer the same health benefits as herbs and spices, since salt is a rock while herbs and spices are plant derivatives. The plants offer unique compounds that promote the benefits mentioned above, whereas salt serves as solely a source of Na + Cl. This does not mean that salt is all bad, since no part of your body will function correctly without proper sodium intake. Instead, the idea is to help curb high intake, not completely substitute it.