Reduce salt to up immunity
March 27, 2020 14:53
At a time when people with compromised immunity corresponds with a higher risk, a high-salt diet may not only be bad for one's blood pressure, but also for the immune system, a study has revealed. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn in Germany found that mice fed a high-salt diet suffered from much more severe bacterial infections.
Human volunteers who consumed an additional six grams of salt per day also showed pronounced immune deficiencies, according to the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
This amount corresponds to the salt content of two fast food meals, the researchers said. Five grams a day is the maximum amount of salt that adults should consume according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
It corresponds approximately to one level teaspoon, the researchers said. Sodium chloride, which is the chemical name of salt, raises blood pressure and thereby increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, they said. "We have now been able to prove for the first time that excessive salt intake also significantly weakens an important arm of the immune system," said Christian Kurts from the University of Bonn. -- PTI
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