Salt-Free Diet Can Lower Risk Of Heart Problems By 18%

News Desk

Islamabad: A recent study found that very low salt intake can protect against serious diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

The experts researched 500,000 people in the UK; they asked questions and gave answers to these volunteers from 2006 to 2010 and examined their heart diseases.

Experts asked volunteers questions about salt intake at the start of the study and then asked them about salt intake at follow-up. Researchers tracked them over 11 years to see how this affected them.

Later, they conducted heart disease tests on all the volunteers which showed that people who ate high-salt foods or those who ate foods with salt added separately were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF).

During the AF, the heart beat becomes irregular and then its constant rapid beat which can lead dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness. People with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke.

The study revealed that chances of AF disease increase by 18 per cent in people who eat salty foods or add salt to their food.

Moreover, people who eat moderately salty foods or sometimes add salt to their food also have a 15 per cent higher chance of developing AF.

Researchers stated that atrial fibrillation usually leads to stroke where other heart problems can occur.

The findings were presented in Amsterdam at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, the world’s largest heart conference.

British Heart Foundation Prof James Leiper said, “This research is a helpful reminder that we could all benefit from sticking to the government recommendation of eating no more than 6g of salt a day – about a teaspoon.”

Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health Mhairi Brown further stated that this new research is a valuable addition to the evidence base and reinforces the need for strict policies that would help lower the amount of salt in our food and protect our health from avoidable deaths.

In the past, several studies have shown that excessive consumption of salt also causes diseases of the digestive system, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Therefore, experts advise people to consume less salt and especially not to add salt separately to foods.