We’ve spent years reading the sodium content on labels and saying “no, thank you” to the salt shaker in an effort to keep our blood pressure at a healthy level. But now, new research is questioning whether or not this is the best way to keep our diastolic and systolic numbers within a normal range.

Researchers from Boston University, including Lynn L. Moore, DSc, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, just revealed that consuming less sodium was not associated with lower blood pressure.

We may want to spend more time shopping for foods high in potassium, calcium and magnesium.

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The researchers followed 2,632 men and women, ages 30 to 64, who had normal blood pressure at the start of the study. However, over the next 16 years, they found that people who consumed less than 2,500 milligrams of sodium a day had higher blood pressure than participants who consumed higher amounts of sodium.

These findings poke holes in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggests that consumers limit their sodium intake to 2,300 grams per day.

According to a write-up in Scientific Daily, Lynn L. Moore reports: “We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure.”

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Moore further explained: “Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided.”

As someone who has a family history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I have spent most of my adult life monitoring food and eliminating high-sodium and high-fat meals. And now, it seems I may have been missing out on other, more preventive measures.

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Moore’s study (along with a few others), found that instead of focusing exclusively on sodium content, we should instead be making every effort to increase our intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium. She believes that potassium, in particular, should be a focus in our diets.

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So does this give us the green light to eat all the salt we want? Of course not.

Being aware of our intake of high-sodium foods, while continuing to make every effort to reduce high levels from our diets, is still a smart choice for all of us. But we may want to spend more time shopping for foods that are high in potassium, calcium and magnesium.

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“I hope that this research will help refocus the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans on the importance of increasing intakes of foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium for the purpose of maintaining a healthy blood pressure,” Moore said.

Here’s a list of foods to consider:

  • Potassium: Bananas, mushrooms (white), avocados, fish (salmon), yogurt (plain), baked acorn squash, dried apricots, baked potatoes (with skin), dark leafy greens (spinach), white beans.
  • Calcium: Cheese, yogurt, milk, sardines, dark leafy greens, fortified cereals and orange juice, soybeans, broccoli, almonds, okra.
  • Magnesium: Dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds (squash and pumpkin), fish (mackerel), beans and lentils, whole grains (brown rice), avocados, low-fat dairy (plain yogurt), bananas, diet fruits (figs), dark chocolate.

Sara Hermanson is a freelance writer in Washington State whose focus is health, wellness, fitness and parenting.