Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - According to a new study, cutting out on salt can help prevent heart attacks, and also save a lot of cash in the process.

We have known for years now that salt is one of the most harmful foods you can put into your body, but a new study has shown that cutting out salt helps prevent heart attacks and save some serious money.

The study was carried out by researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, as well as the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California.

The idea behind the study was to try and see what type of impact salt had not only on your health, but the health care system as a whole.

What researchers found is quite stunning to say the very least, as cutting salt intake can make a huge difference.

If you reduce your salt intake by 10%, you greatly reduce your chance of having a heart attack.

Overall, if the food industry, according to the study, cut down on their use of salt by 10% they could prevent 500,000 heart attacks annually.

On top of that, this would save $32 billion annually in terms of health care costs.

Reducing salt has also been proven to lower blood pressure, among other health benefits.