Earlier, heath officials in the United States warned that nine out of 10 kids in the country ate more salt than they should. They also said that the high intake could increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart diseases. But a new study has claimed that consuming high amount of salt has not side-effects on blood pressure of teenage girls.

The study, which included over 2,000 girls from age nine and 10 years into early adulthood, also claimed that potassium-rich diets could be helpful in lowering blood pressure. Lynn Moore, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, said the findings of the study contradict current salt guidelines.

Moore said that according to the current official Dietary Guidelines for people in America, salt intake after the age of two years must be limited to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. The actual intake level does not match the guidelines and is much higher. Most people in the country consume about 3,500 milligrams salt per day, she added.

The new study did not show that the higher amount of salt raises blood pressure. Moore said, "For both blacks and whites, girls who consumed as much as 4,000 milligrams of salt per day or more had the same blood pressure levels as those consuming less than 2,500 mg per day".

According to the lead author, the study does not advise people to consume salt indiscriminately. She said the amount of salt that a teen consumed was not a problem in the study. If teenagers eat a healthy diet with a variety of foods, there should be no worry about restricting salt, as per Moore.

She also said that a steady diet of high-salt snack foods that contain lots of calories will not be healthy for teens.