Salt Restriction Increases Mortality RiskWednesday, 29 Jan 2014 03:45 PM
There are studies that dispute the “salt equals hypertension”
theory. Fifty-seven trials reviewed over a 25-year period
(1966-2001) showed that in individuals with normal blood pressure, a
low-sodium diet resulted in an average decline of systolic blood
pressure of just 1.27 mmHG and a decline of diastolic pressure of
only 0.54 mmHg.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published the
results of a study of 3,681 subjects for a median of 7.9 years that
found death rates actually increased as the subjects ate less salt.
Yet another study (2011), conducted by the Cochrane Review (an
independent group that takes no money from Big Pharma), examined
seven prior studies that compared dietary salt restriction to a
control group. The study specifically looked at the development of
cardiovascular disease and mortality.
According to Cochrane, salt restriction resulted in a lowered
systolic blood pressure of between 1 to 4 mmHG. There was no
evidence that restricting salt resulted in lower rates of
cardiovascular disease or mortality. In fact, salt restriction
increased the risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) in
those with heart failure by 259 percent.
Understanding human physiology can give you an idea why a low-salt
diet is not a healthy alternative. Salt is the second most common
substance in the human body, after water. Sodium and chloride — the
main components of salt — are vital for hundreds of different
chemical reactions in the body. In addition, salt is needed to hold
water inside the cells, and adequate salt levels are necessary to
maintain optimal blood pressure.
In fact, life itself is not possible without adequate amounts of
sodium and chloride. Low intake of salt will lead to deficiency, and
salt deficiency is a dangerous condition for the body as it triggers
a cascade of hormonal responses.
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