Study Questions Low-Sodium Diet Health Benefits

COPENHAGENResults of a new study published in the American Journal of Hypertension suggest following a low-sodium diet actually may do more harm than good by triggering a negative chain reaction in the body that increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

Researchers from Copenhagen and Bispebjerg University Hospitals in Denmark conducted a meta-analysis of more than 167 studies in the Cochrane Systematic Review to assess the impact of low-salt versus high-salt diets.

They found eating less than 2,800 milligrams of sodium a day helped lower blood pressure by 1% in people with normal blood pressure and 3.5% in those with high blood pressure. However, they also found reduced salt intake triggered a 2.5% rise in cholesterol and a 7% increase in triglycerides compared to people who were eating more than 3,450 milligrams of sodium a day. They also noted significant increases in levels of  the enzyme renin, which regulates blood pressure, and the hormones noradrenaline and adrenaline, which affect blood pressure and heart rate.