Doctors have long warned of the dangers of a high-salt diet.
Researchers found other lifestyle factors including alcohol consumption, age, and most importantly body mass index (BMI) were all strongly linked to a rise in blood pressure.
Eating more fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, acted to reduce hypertension.
However the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US yesterday issued a warning that nine in 10 schoolchildren are eating more salt than is recommended.