Low Salt Diet Studied

In has been common knowledge for years that a high salt diet was not healthy and could do harm to you, however a group of US researchers have come to the conclusion that a low salt diet may in fact do more cardio-vascular damage for persons who are not in the risk bracket for hypertension. The study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine noted that people that were healthy who made a point of restricting salt below 2,300 mg daily had a 37% higher chance to suffer from fatal cardiovascular disease.

The results of this government backed reseaqrch program is contary to most commonly held medical theories and medical advice. The head of the study said that it is possible that low-salt eating increases the kidney level of renin. This is a protein that works by increasing blood pressure when salt levels are lower. It is also possible that the low salt could cause diabetes by promoting insulin resistance.

The researchers were keen to point out that the answers were not all definitive and that more research was needed. They said that they were just issuing a yellow card and not a red one. It may be that the government guidelines on salt use should be looked at more more. The research used an immense government database which enable the study of diet,salt intake,weight,age and ethnic make up of participants. It was a surprise that more fatalities were noted with those who ate less salt.

As expected the statistics have caused some controversy from the medical establishment, with many doctors rebutting the claims and warning that the message that this research was giving could be dangerous and warning people to keep salt intake down.