Myth buster: Healthy diet cannot counteract the effects of high salt intake

In the latest study, scientists have found that intake of a healthy diet isn’t enough to counteract the effects of high salt intake. This study is carried out by scientists from various institutions that include the Imperial College of London and Northwestern University. This study is a myth buster, wherein earlier it was believed that having a healthy diet would lower blood pressure. Intake of salt than the recommended levels is associated with a rise in blood pressure. According to NHS, an adult should not consume more than 6grams of salt per day. Elevated blood pressure (high B.P) increases the risk for many complications like heart attacks and stroke, apart from ageing

Research study:

As part of the study, the researchers studied the diet of 4,680 men and women from China, Japan, UK and United States. The team studied the data from INTERMAP Study and the age of the volunteers ranged from 40-59. During the study, the scientists took two urine samples of the participants during a four-day study between 1997 and 1999. The researchers also considered the height, weight and blood pressure of the participants. Apart from this the scientists also took note of the nutrients the participants consumed during the study period, They include Vitamin C, Omega-3 fatty acids which are abundant in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

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The team analyzed the sodium and potassium levels in urine samples. The high sodium levels are associated with a rise in blood pressure. On the contrary, high potassium levels are associated with low blood pressure. The researchers found a direct correlation between high salt intake and high blood pressure, even though there are high levels of potassium in the urine. The average salt intake was found to be much higher than the recommended amount in all the regions under study. The average salt intake was 8.5g for participants of UK, it is 11.7 g for individuals in Japan and highest salt intake of 13.4 g was observed in people of China. This study clearly depicts the impacts of high-salt intake on health and we should minimize salt-intake in our diet for a healthy living and lowered blood pressure.

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