Millions of adults consume salt every day to lose weight and are affected by high blood pressure. This puts them at increased risk of a range of health problems, including heart attacks and strokes. Scientists believe that salt consumption contributes to weight loss by stimulating thirst and increasing fluid intake. For this reason they see the reduction in theGeneral salt intakeas an important strategy for lowering blood pressure. Regardless, recent studies have shown that higher sodium intake does not stimulate thirst and fluid intake. Instead, it promotes weight loss, which changes the body's overall energy needs.
Is salt healthy for weight loss?
A new study led by Dr. Stephen Juraschek sheds new light on these contradictory results. The researchers found that sodium intake reduced thirst and diurnal diuresis volume in adults with elevated blood pressure. However, this process did not affect metabolic energy requirements. The findings, published in the journal Hypertension, support the traditional view that reducing sodium intake is critical to treating hypertension. Accordingly, this theory challenges recent studies.
Researchers examined the effects of three different levels of sodium intake using data from the completed randomized controlled feeding trial published in 2001. The scientists divided these into low, medium and high and observed the test subjects with different diet plans. In the study's secondary analysis, researchers measured the effects of sodium intake on participants' energy intake, weight, self-reported thirst, and 24-hour urine output.
The scientists found that while reduced sodium intake did not affect the amount of energy needed to maintain a stable weight, it did reduce participants' thirst. Furthermore, urine volume was either unchanged or lower when sodium intake was reduced. Taken together, these results suggest that lower salt consumption reduces fluid intake and blood pressure in adults with hypertension. These changes occurred without changing the amount of energy required to maintain constant body weight.
Medical perspectives
As a next step, Juraschek and his colleagues plan to study the effects of sodium in adults with diabetes. They also research the effects of fluid intake on theresults in clinical studies,as well as in large data sets.
“Our study“makes an important contribution to this scientific debate and underscores the importance of sodium reduction as a means to reduce weight,” said Juraschek. “Public health recommendations to reduce population-wide sodium intake for blood pressure should continue without fear of contributing to weight gain.”
