Reaching for the salt shaker at the kitchen table may seem like second nature for some – but it could reveal troubling details about your health.

Recent Brazilian research, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, investigated the impact of adding salt to food with a focus on older adults.

The study used national survey data from more than 8,000 Brazilians over the age of 60, collected between 2017 and 2018.

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Participants were asked the question, “Do you have the habit of adding salt to food at the table?” The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.

About 10.9% of older adults said they used salt at the table. Men reported this habit more than women – 12.7% compared to 9.4%, according to the published study.

Men not following a diet for high blood pressure were more than twice as likely to add salt compared to men who follow this diet.

Men who reported living alone had a 62% higher likelihood of using salt compared to men who lived with others.

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Women not following a high blood pressure diet had 68% higher likelihood of using extra salt.

Adding salt was also associated with a lower intake of fruits and vegetables among women. The odds of adding salt to food were 81% higher in women who did not eat fruit, and 40% higher in those who did not eat vegetables.

Women who have a high concentration of ultraprocessed foods in their diet were more than twice as likely to add salt to food, as were those living in urban areas.

As this study was cross-sectional, it showed an association but could not prove that one thing caused another, the researchers acknowledged. Some of the information was self-reported, which could also limit the findings.

Diets high in sodium are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, which also raises the risk of heart disease, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis and kidney disease, according to the World Health Organization.

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About 1.89 million deaths each year are associated with consuming too much sodium, the organization reported.

The WHO recommends that adults consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, or just under a teaspoon, for best health outcomes.

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Study co-author Dr. Débora Santos, a titular professor at Rio de Janeiro State University, called for alternative ways to decrease additional use of salt.

“The use of herbs and natural seasonings as alternatives to salt, or culinary techniques such as using the acidity of citrus fruits, may help reduce discretionary salt use while maintaining food palatability,” she wrote in a press release.

“Practical strategies, such as avoiding the routine placement of saltshakers on the table, may also help reduce habitual salt use.”

Los Angeles-based registered dietitian nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein said adding salt to food before trying it is one of her “biggest pet peeves.”

“It’s interesting that this study found that men were significantly more likely to add salt to their food compared to women, because this is an observation I’ve had as well,” Muhlstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

“It could be because women are more bloat-conscious overall and may be more informed on the medical harms of excessive salt, as well as the more superficial ones like making your rings hard to take on or off (when you’re dealing with water retention from increased salt intake).”

For men, Muhlstein suggested that those who live alone are potentially more likely to order takeout – and restaurants “tend to use much more salt than home cooking, which could make someone’s preference for salty food much higher.”

“That is further reflected in the stats showing that the less fruits and vegetables one eats, and the more processed foods consumed, the more likely one was to add salt to their food,” she noted.

The finding that a low blood pressure diet positively influences a person’s salt intake is “promising and intriguing,” according to Muhlstein.

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“This should encourage HHS and public health officials to promote nutrition education and the importance of whole foods, less processed foods and reduced salt intake overall,” she said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rebuked media outlets for running with an Iranian narrative that President Donald Trump had agreed to a wildly slanted 10-point peace plan from Tehran on Wednesday.

Leavitt made the comments while speaking to reporters at a press conference, saying the version of the 10-point plan Iran had released publicly was very different from the one Trump and the U.S. had agreed to.

“So let me be clear and correct the record,” Leavitt said. “The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded. It was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team,” Leavitt said.

“Many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the United States. And that is false,” she added.

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Leavitt said negotiations with Iran are taking place behind closed doors, and she did not offer details about the version of the agreement that Trump described as “workable” prior to the Tuesday night truce.

The plan Iran released publicly makes several eyebrow-raising demands, including that the U.S. end all primary and secondary sanctions against Tehran. The plan also demands that Iran gain full control over the Strait of Hormuz, something it did not enjoy even before the war began.

The plan also demands compensation for damage sustained by Iran during the war and a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Middle East.

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Trump publicly blasted that version of the plan in a statement on Wednesday.

“Numerous Agreements, Lists, and Letters are being sent out by people that have absolutely nothing to do with the U.S.A. / Iran Negotiation, in many cases, they are total Fraudsters, Charlatans, and WORSE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“There is only one group of meaningful “POINTS” that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations. These are the POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote.

In a rapid turn Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran just hours after warning the regime would face devastating consequences. 

But within hours of the agreement, Gulf states already were reporting drone attacks and officials signaled the agreement may already be under strain.

The two-week ceasefire, brokered with help from Pakistan, was framed by the White House as a step toward broader negotiations, and defense officials said U.S. strikes on Iran had halted following Trump’s announcement Tuesday night.

But within hours, Israel launched its largest strike yet on Hezbollah in Lebanon — which is not covered by the ceasefire — and Iranian state media signaled Tehran could again restrict access to the Strait of Hormuz as fighting in Lebanon continues.

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“The Iran–U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose—ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement posted to X. “The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.” 

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed nine drones in recent hours, while the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones. Kuwait’s military said it intercepted 42 drones and four ballistic missiles launched since early Wednesday, some targeting oil facilities, power stations and other critical infrastructure. 

Bahrain also reported injuries and damage after debris from an intercepted Iranian drone fell in a residential area.

The regional attacks came after Iran launched missile barrages toward Israel in the hours surrounding the ceasefire announcement Tuesday night, triggering sirens across major cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. An Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson told Fox News Digital that there were launches toward Israel from Iran after the ceasefire took effect. 

“This is a fragile truce,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday when asked about reported violations at a White House press briefing. “Ceasefires are fragile by nature. We’ve seen this with respect to the 12-day war with Iran in Israel last year. It takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated.” 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the ceasefire, said Wednesday “violations of ceasefire have been reported at few places,” urging all sides to exercise restraint and preserve the agreement.

“It takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned in a news conference Wednesday morning. “We’re prepared if necessary, but we hope and believe it will hold.”

He said the Pentagon was monitoring attacks that happened Tuesday night “in real time.” 

“Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations, not to shoot any longer, one way attacks or missiles,” he said. 

U.S. Central Command declined to say whether any Iranian activity has continued since the ceasefire took effect, offering no additional details beyond remarks from War Department leadership earlier Wednesday.

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Trump said he agreed to pause strikes on Iran on the condition of “complete, immediate, and safe” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in longer-term negotiations. 

But the Iranian navy told ships anchored near the key global shipping route Wednesday they still need Iran’s permission to pass, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“The president was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday. “That is completely unacceptable. And again, this is a case of what they’re saying publicly is different. Privately, we have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today. And I will reiterate the president’s expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately.” 

Trump suggested Wednesday to ABC that both Iran and the U.S. may collect tolls from the Strait in a “joint venture,” though details remain unclear. 

Vice President JD Vance, White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will head Pakistan for the first round of peace talks with Iran on Saturday, the White House said. Any discussions could be complicated by reports of continued attacks across the region.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.