A new study revealed that cutting out salt in meals can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes by almost a fifth.
According to the British newspaper, The Guardian, the study used data from the UK Biobank, which includes more than 500,000 people between the ages of 40 and 70 across the UK from 2006 to 2010. They already had atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke at the start of the study.
Participants were asked how regularly they used salt in their meals, and asked to choose between the following answers: “never”, “rarely” or “always”. The researchers then followed them for 11 years to see how this affected them.
Compared to those who always put salt in their food, those who never did so were 18% less likely to develop atrial fibrillation.
People who added it rarely or occasionally to meals were 15 percent less likely to develop atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation causes an irregular and often rapid heart rate, which can lead to dizziness, shortness of breath and fatigue. People with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke.
Atrial fibrillation causes an irregular and rapid heart rate (Reuters)
“Our study indicates that lower frequency of adding salt to foods is associated with a reduced risk of atrial fibrillation, and thus stroke, by about 20 percent,” said lead author Dr. Yoon Jong Park, from Kyungpook National University Hospital in South Korea.
Professor James Lieber, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “It is well known that eating too much salt can lead to health problems. This study is a useful reminder that we should all stick to the UK government’s recommendation that we eat no more than 6g of salt per day – that’s about a teaspoon.”
A study published last year said that a diet high in salt can contribute to an increase in stress hormone levels by 75 percent.
Experts say salt also increases the risk of dementia.
2023-08-27 09:14:01
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