PARIS: Salt consumption exceeds national and World Health Organization guidelines in most countries, but only the highest-sodium diets, such as in China, are linked to clear health risks, researchers said on Friday.

Only individuals with a daily salt intake of at least 12.5 grams -- about two-and-a-half teaspoons -- were associated with increased blood pressure and a greater risk of stroke, they reported in The Lancet, a medical journal.