Salt damages organs even with normal blood pressure

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MunichSalt drives up blood pressure. But even people with low values ​​shouldn't feel like being in a false sense of security. Because too much salt stresses a whole range of organs even without increased blood pressure.

Sodium chloride - in German table salt - is vital for humans. The body needs it among other things to regulate its fluid balance and for the function of the cells. But as with most substances, the dose also matters here: Too much of a good thing is harmful.

Researchers led by William Farquhar from the University of Delaware have now brought together from a series of studies which negative effects larger amounts of salt apart from high blood pressure have.

Stiff arteries

In doing so, they discovered that salt, among other things, directly disrupts the endothelial function in the arteries. Doctors understand the endothelium to be the cell layers that line the blood vessels on the inside. If they are damaged, the walls of the vessels thicken and they become stiff. In the long term, arteriosclerosis develops, the main risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Too much salt consumption also promoted a thickening of the heart chambers, which in the long term can lead to cardiac insufficiency. Kidney function also suffered from high salt consumption.

Disturbed organ functions

Another possible side effect of high salt consumption are disorders in the autonomic nervous system. The activating sympathetic nervous system is particularly affected here. "Chronically increased salt consumption causes the sympathetic nerves to become over-sensitive, so that they react more strongly to stimuli," explains Farquhar, head of the study. This could affect the function of all organs that are influenced by the sympathetic nervous system. This includes the heart, lungs, genital organs, and bladder.

Sensitive to salt?

However, it is not possible to say in general which consumption is questionable: people react very differently to salt - at least when it comes to high blood pressure. “Depending on whether a person's blood pressure rises significantly in times of high salt consumption and falls in phases with low salt intake, a distinction is made between salt-sensitive and salt-resistant individuals,” explains Farquhar. Which type you belong to probably also depends on your genetic makeup. But sport also has an influence: other scientists have already found out in an earlier study that those who exercise a lot, whose blood pressure is less sensitive.

A maximum of six grams per day

The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 1.5 grams of sodium per day. That is the equivalent of about 3.8 grams of salt. The German Nutrition Society, on the other hand, is more generous: it provides a guideline of six grams per day. In fact, in Germany men consume an average of 8.78 grams of salt per day, women 6.33 grams, according to the National Consumption Study II. In fact, however, the body needs significantly less, namely only about 1.5 grams of salt.

Hidden salt

There is plenty of salt in cured meat products such as ham and salami, but also in cheese and ready-made meals such as frozen pizzas or bag soups. Bread in Germany also usually contains a lot of salt. The exact amount of salt in a food is stated on the packaging.

If you want to save salt, you should use fresh ingredients if possible and remove the salt shaker from the table for seasoning. So that the food doesn't taste bland from one day to the next, it is advisable to gradually reduce the amount of salt.

Sources:

William B. Farquhar et al: Dietary Sodium and Health. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2015; 65: 1042 DOI: 10.1016 / j.jacc.2014.12.039

Casey M. Rebholz et al: Physical Activity Reduces Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure. Am J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct 1; 176 (Suppl 7): S106-S113.doi: 10.1093 / aje / kws266

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