A new study says less salt intake may help high blood pressure control but it may also lead to an increase in blood cholesterol and the risk of blood clots.
Recent findings question the long time belief that lowering sodium in daily diet may prevent high blood pressure or death due to heart disease.
University of Copenhagen researchers say if you are not an excessive salt consumer, cutting down on salt can slightly raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of blood clots causing a heart attack or a stroke.
A review of 67 previous studies involving over 40,000 people revealed that a reduced salt intake triggered a 2.5 percent rise in cholesterol levels and a 7 percent increase in a type of fat that can cause blood clots.
Less salt intake may also cause kidneys to release more of a protein called renin and its hormone aldosterone, which is associated with high blood pressure, says the study published in the American Journal of Hypertension.
“In my opinion, people should generally not worry about their salt intake,” said study author Dr. Niels Graudal of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
“We know that a decrease in blood pressure would probably improve or decrease the risk of cardiovascular death but, on the other hand, an increase in [cholesterol] would increase the risk of cardiovascular death,” he added.
“It's likely that these two antagonistic effects will out-balance each other, so there will be no net effect of sodium reduction on people with normal blood pressure.”
The researchers suggested people who eat “reasonable” amounts of sodium, 2,400 to 3,600 milligrams per day, shouldn't worry about eating less.
“They should focus on everything else,” noted Graudal who suggested people quit smoking, avoid alcohol, and lose weight if they are too heavy.
SJM/TE