Together, those foods can push daily sodium intake well beyond recommended limits—even when the meal doesn’t taste especially salty. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention connects sodium intake to clear health consequences, noting that eating too much sodium raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Damage from high blood pressure accumulates gradually, leading over time to stiffer arteries, an enlarged heart muscle, and a greater likelihood of serious cardiovascular events. For individuals with existing high blood pressure, kidney disease, or a family history of stroke, this makes processed meat best treated as an occasional choice rather than a daily staple.
Heart Disease Risk and What the Long Studies Show
