One of the most readily accepted health facts nowadays is that lowering salt levels will have benefits all-round.
But a new Danish study has found that having less sodium may not be as beneficial as assumed.
The report, titled “Effects of Low-Sodium Diet vs. High-Sodium Diet on Blood Pressure”, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, claims that previous medical understandings that because lowering sodium levels reduced blood pressure, it also meant a reduction in cardiovascular disease, may be inaccurate.
Researchers at the Copenhagen University and the Bispeberg University Hospital’s included other elements into their studies, including bio-markers, including hormones and lipids.
They found that when these factors were also taken into account, the connection between salt reduction and increased cardiovascular risk was clear.
“Sodium reduction did decrease blood pressure for people with both normal and high blood pressure, but it also caused significant increases in renin, cholesterol, triglyceride and other compounds that can have an adverse effect on cardiovascular health,” Lead researcher Niels A. Grauda, from Copenhagen University Hospital said.
Researchers also found that in previous reports, the potential side-effects of significantly lowering salt levels were not noted.
However, the head of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre, Professor Francesco Cappuccio has hit back at the study, saying it could distract attention away from implementing salt reduction policies at population level globally, under recommendations by governments, the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
The correlation between high sodium levels and obesity has led to many measure being put in place to lower the risk, including a $40 million food health education campaign in Victoria and a two year deal between Holista and Quick Service Restaurant Holdings to reduce the sodium levels in salt and level of oil in potato chips in fast food restaurants.
Interestingly, it was Denmark who introduced a “fat tax” on unhealthy foods last month in a bid to tackle obesity.
Food health campaigners in Australia and the UK are calling for similar measures to be put in place.