Five Little-Known Dangers of Restricting Sodium Too Much
Sodium is a main component of table salt. And for many years, it has been widely argued and believed that too much sodium has been linked to high blood pressure, with health organisations recommending that you limit your intake.
However, even though too much sodium causes problems, research now confirms that eating too little can be just as unhealthy. In fact it may - indeed - have a greater negative impact on your health than too much.
Here are 5 little-known dangers of restricting sodium too much.
May increase in insulin resistance
Low sodium diets have been associated with increased insulin resistance, a condition that causes higher blood sugar and insulin levels. This may lead to type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases.
No clear benefit for heart disease
Although the evidence is mixed, some observational studies show that low salt diets are linked to an increased risk of death from heart attacks or strokes, (The very reason many people have gone on a low salt diet in the first place). Controlled trials show no clear benefit.
Increased risk of death from heart failure
There’s some evidence that people with heart failure may have a higher risk of dying on a low sodium diet. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.
May raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides
Studies have found that limiting salt may raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, which are common risk factors for heart disease. (However, the real reason is the reduction in the counterbalancing HDL (Happy) cholesterol that keeps the LDL cholesterol in check). Don’t mess with the salt intake and you won’t mess with nature’s checks and balances of safe cholesterol variant levels.
Increased risk of death for people with diabetes
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have an increased risk of death on a low sodium diet. However, this needs to be studied further.
In conclusion
Too much sodium may indeed be harmful, but too little can also have serious consequences. Aside from people who are extremely sensitive to sodium levels, the body’s natural way of getting rid of anything it consumes too much of is simply to expel it through sweat and urine. If you have a medical condition that requires a diet low in sodium, or if your healthcare provider has advised you to limit your intake, by all means, continue to do so.
However, if you’re a healthy person trying to stay healthy, there’s no good evidence that following a low sodium diet will improve your health. Be more concerned from where the excess sodium is coming from: when we eat too much processed, packaged foods — stuff you shouldn’t be eating much of anyway. Adding some salt to your healthy foods to improve their flavour is both safe and healthy — and can make your diet much more pleasurable.
Extracts taken from Hrefna Palsdottir, MS from https://www.healthline.com