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Limiting salt increases the risk of heart disease
Last reviewed: 23.11.2021
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Everyone knows that reducing the amount of salt in the diet results in lowering the arterial blood pressure. However, new studies show that its limitation can increase the level of cholesterol, triglycerides and other risk factors for heart disease.
At the moment, it is not entirely clear what long-term effects can mean these changes in blood for health.
"In my opinion, people generally should not worry about salt intake," said study author Dr. Niels Graudal, senior consultant on internal medicine and rheumatology at the Copenhagen University of Denmark.
For decades, medical experts have said that reducing sodium intake lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. And already there is a new powerful push by the government to reduce salt in finished and processed foods at the level of the country's legislation.
American dietary principles are currently recommended, people aged 2 years and over limit daily intake of sodium to 2,300 mg. People aged 51 years and over, with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should limit salt intake to 1500 mg per day, experts say.
The American Heart Association believes that 1500 mg of salt per day is a recommendation that all Americans must observe. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, and this, based on the standard, is very high.
But is it?
An international team of scientists found that a lower sodium content is associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while a higher sodium content was not associated with an increased risk of hypertension or heart disease complications in healthy people.
A large-scale study, published this week, analyzed data from 167 studies that compared diets with high and low sodium.
Reducing salt intake has actually lowered blood pressure in Europeans, African Americans and Asians with normal or high blood pressure.
At the same time, a decrease in the salt content in the diet led to a significant increase in the level of cholesterol, triglycerides, the enzyme renin (takes part in the regulation of blood pressure) and hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine, which can affect blood pressure and heart rate.
At the moment, scientists do not understand how these changes can influence in the long term the likelihood of occurrence of heart attacks or strokes.
The results of the study showed that people react differently to salt intake. "There are those who are more sensitive to salt than others," explained Dr. Susanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
As for the general public, the message remains the same: "Reducing salt is better for your health," Steinbaum said.
But even people who really control salt intake within normal limits should realize that this is not enough to prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke. "People should regulate their way of life, adhere to a healthy and balanced diet with a predominance of plant fiber in their diet, without forgetting about physical activity and sports," said Karen Kongro, director of the Good Health Program at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. "Reducing salt will not solve your problems are 100 percent. "
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