GO AHEAD AND PASS THE SALT

You no longer need to feel guilty when you rain down salt on your plate. A new study in The Lancet assessed the salt intake and heart health of 96,000 people and found that only 5 percent of individuals in developed nations are at risk for high-sodium health problems. And the scientists established an upper daily limit of 5 grams, or 2½ teaspoons, not the 1½-gram limit suggested by the American Heart Association. Salt, of course, isn’t totally harmless, so to mitigate risk, eat foods that are high in potassium, including brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Now, if only science could raise the upper limit of french fries.