European researchers say they’ve got the data to show that restricting salt in the general population is a bad mistake. By implication, the U.S. dietary salt guidelines are plainly wrong.

How did they do this? They followed 3700 subjects for roughly 8 years, having first measured their 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. Their data show that lower salt intake leads to higher cardiovascular mortality and that increasing levels of salt intake are not associated with an increased incidence of hypertension.

The researchers are defiant in the face of criticism, challenging the skeptics to come up with their own data.

The results seem poised to change our assumptions — if not our dietary habits.