We've all been warned that eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. But scientists have warned that other organs could be affected by a high salt diet too.
In a new study from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, researchers found that people who often add salt to their meals are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.
According to the United States' federal health recommendations, adults should eat no more than 2,300 mg of salt per day, which is roughly equal to one teaspoon. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans consume on average more than 3,400 mg on a daily basis.
Previous studies have shown associations between a high salt intake and heart disease, as well as impaired immunity, osteoporosis due to calcium loss, and potentially stomach cancer. However, its effects on kidney function are less well studied.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than one in seven U.S. adults, according to the CDC, and occurs when the kidneys become damaged and cannot effectively filter toxins and waste from our blood. This excess fluid and waste can build up in the body and result in a host of other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
In the Tulane study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers examined a cohort of 465,288 individuals to see if there was any association between self-reported salt intake and development of CKD. The data was drawn from the U.K. Biobank, a largescale biomedical database investigating the respective contributions of genetics and environment to the development of various diseases.
At the start of the study, none of the participants had chronic kidney disease. However, after an average 11.8-year follow-up period, those who regularly added salt to their food were significantly more likely to develop CKD than those who never or rarely did.
The researchers proposed several mechanisms for this association. First, high sodium intake is linked with activation of the hormone responsible for regulating salt and water in the body. However, high levels of this hormone have been linked to kidney failure in patients with CKD. High salt levels can also increase oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are associated with CKD.
More work is needed to confirm these results, but the study adds to a body of building evidence that high salt intake can affect more than just your heart.
Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Do you have a question about kidney disease? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
