Diet & Cooking Series: Salsa, Potential Health Drawbacks of Salsa

Shidonna Raven
5 hours ago
2 min read

July 19, 2018

Photo Source: Unsplash,

Health Benefits of Salsa

Potential Health Drawbacks of Salsa

As you saw in the nutrition facts above, salsa can be high in sodium. Sodium is essential for maintaining fluid balance and more, but too much is associated with health problems like high blood pressure.

There is some debate over what sodium intake recommendations should be, per a 2020 study in BMJ. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a max of 2,300 milligrams per day, but the American Heart Association recommends a max of just 1,500 milligrams per day. For reference, the average American consumes 3,600 milligrams of sodium per day, per the BMJ study.

Note that the nutrition facts we listed above are from the USDA, which doesn’t provide an ingredient list. The salsa they used is likely jarred salsa, which tends to be higher in sodium than homemade salsa since sodium acts as a preservative and flavor-enhancer.

That being said, it can be helpful for those with high blood pressure to be mindful of sources of sodium in the diet. If the salsa you use is high in sodium, it may be an opportunity to find a lower-sodium salsa or even make one at home if that’s accessible to you.

The other potential drawback of salsa is that the acidic ingredients like tomatoes and lime and the spicy ingredients like chiles can trigger symptoms of acid reflux, per the NIH. So, people with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may need to limit their salsa intake to prevent unpleasant symptoms.

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