Too Much Salt Could Affect Reproductive Health

BOSTON (CBS) - Think twice before letting your child grab the salt shaker because it could affect their reproductive health, says Dr. Mallika Marshall.

It is generally recommended that adults consume no more than 2,000 milligrams of salt a day, which is about a teaspoon, but most Americans eat much more than that through processed foods, snack foods, meats, condiments and breads.

A new study out of the University of Wyoming has found that rats who were given a sodium-rich diet, with levels of salt 3 to 4 times the recommended daily allowance for humans, reached puberty significantly later than rats fed normal levels of salt.

Delayed puberty could cause behavioral and fertility problems down the road.