Salt Health Effects

Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cramp" title="Cramp" >muscle cramps</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizziness" title="Dizziness" >dizziness</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte_disturbance" title="Electrolyte disturbance" class="mw-redirect" >electrolyte disturbance</a>, which can cause neurological problems, or death.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-oz-43" >[44]</a> Drinking too much water, with insufficient salt intake, puts a person at risk of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication" title="Water intoxication" >water intoxication</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia" title="Hyponatremia" >hyponatremia</a>).

Salt is sometimes used as a health aid, such as in treatment of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysautonomia" title="Dysautonomia" >dysautonomia</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-44" >[45]</a>

Death can occur by ingestion of large amounts of salt in a short time (about 1 g per kg of body weight).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-45" >[46]</a> Deaths have also resulted from attempted use of salt solutions as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emetic" title="Emetic" class="mw-redirect" >emetics</a>, forced salt intake, and accidental confusion of salt with sugar in child food.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-46" >[47]</a>

<h3 >Long-term effects</h3>

The effect of salt consumption on long term health outcomes is controversial.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-RN09-47" >[48]</a> The effects of salt reduction appears to have an unclear effect on mortality<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-48" >[49]</a> and its effect on morbidity is contentious.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-RN09-47" >[48]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-49" >[50]</a>

Some associations include:

<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke" title="Stroke" >Stroke</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiovascular_disease" title="Cardiovascular disease" >cardiovascular disease</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-50" >[51]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension" title="Hypertension" >High blood pressure</a>: Evidence shows an association between salt intakes and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressure" title="Blood pressure" >blood pressure</a> among different populations and age range in adults.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-SACN_page_3-51" >[52]</a> Reduced salt intake also results in a small reduction in blood pressure.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-RN09-47" >[48]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_ventricular_hypertrophy" title="Left ventricular hypertrophy" >Left ventricular hypertrophy</a> (cardiac enlargement): "Evidence suggests that high salt intake causes left ventricular hypertrophy, a strong <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_factor" title="Risk factor" >risk factor</a> for cardiovascular disease, independently of blood pressure effects."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-SACN_page_3-51" >[52]</a> "...there is accumulating evidence that high salt intake predicts left ventricular hypertrophy."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-fsai-52" >[53]</a> Excessive salt (sodium) intake, combined with an inadequate intake of water, can cause <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypernatremia" title="Hypernatremia" >hypernatremia</a>. It can exacerbate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_disease" title="Renal disease" class="mw-redirect" >renal disease</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-oz-43" >[44]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edema" title="Edema" >Edema</a>: A decrease in salt intake has been suggested to treat edema (fluid retention).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-oz-43" >[44]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-53" >[54]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomach_cancer" title="Stomach cancer" >Stomach cancer</a> is associated with high levels of sodium, "but the evidence does not generally relate to foods typically consumed in the UK."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-SACN_page_18-54" >[55]</a> However, in Japan, salt consumption is higher.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-55" >[56]</a></li>

</ul>

The Cochrane Collaboration found that "a modest and long term reduction in population salt intake [...] would result in a lower population blood pressure, and a reduction in strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. Furthermore, our study is consistent with the fact that the lower the salt intake, the lower the blood pressure."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-56" >[57]</a> Some isolated cultures, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanomami" title="Yanomami" >Yanomami</a> in South America, have been found to consume little salt and are still capable of regular activity. This may indicate an adaptation of humans to low levels of sodium that originated in the predominantly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism" title="Vegetarianism" >vegetarian diet</a> of human primate ancestors.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-57" >[58]</a>

In 1994, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Medical_Journal" title="British Medical Journal" class="mw-redirect" >British Medical Journal</a> published a randomized double blind placebo controlled study examining 100 Dutch middle-aged and elderly subjects with mild to moderate hypertension. A low sodium, high potassium, high magnesium mineral salt was used at the table and in foods given to the intervention group, with the control group ordinary table salt in their foods and at the table. Over a 24-week period, the researchers found a reduced blood pressure in the intervention group, with mean blood pressure falling by 7.6 mm Hg (systolic) and 3.3 mm Hg (diastolic) in the mineral salt group compared with the control group.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-pmid7920126-58" >[59]</a> However, critics have pointed out that it is possible that some of the subjects may have changed their dietary habits due to many of them being able to distinguish the mineral salt from table salt due to their different taste.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-pmid7987117-59" >[60]</a>

According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayo_Clinic" title="Mayo Clinic" >The Mayo Clinic</a> and Australian Professor Bruce Neal, the health consequences of ingesting sea salt or regular table salt are the same, as the content of sea salt is still mainly sodium chloride.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-mayosalt-60" >[61]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-61" >[62]</a>

In traditional Korean cuisine, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Juk-yeom&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Juk-yeom (page does not exist)" >juk-yeom</a> (죽염, 竹鹽), which means "bamboo salt", is prepared by roasting salt at temperatures between 800 and 2000 °C<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-soilpollu-15" >[16]</a> in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo" title="Bamboo" >bamboo</a> container plugged with mud at both ends. This product absorbs minerals from the bamboo and the mud, and has been shown to increase the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clastogen" title="Clastogen" >anticlastogenic</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutagen" title="Mutagen" >antimutagenic</a> properties of the fermented soybean paste known in Korea as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang" title="Doenjang" >doenjang</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-AsianFood-16" >[17]</a>