Too much salt can damage blood vessels, says new study

Monday, 18 June 2012

Too much salt may damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a new study.

Researchers tracked how much sodium 5,556 men and women from the Netherlands were eating and found those eating a high-salt diet for several years were more likely to have increased levels of uric acid and albumin. Both substances are markers of blood vessel damage.

The higher the levels of these markers, the greater the risk of developing high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study reinforces the importance of keeping our salt intake low.

“In the UK, the amount of salt we eat on average is above the recommended maximum of 6g a day, which is about a teaspoon. The findings are therefore an important reminder to us all about the potential dangers of eating too much salt.

“Addressing this issue isn’t just about avoiding the salt shaker at meal times. Most of the salt we eat - about 75 per cent - is already in our foods so we need clear and consistent front-of-pack food labels that will help us to make the healthiest choices.”

The study was published in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation.