2024-07-19 14:52:12
People have been using salt since the dawn of civilization to process, preserve and enhance foods.
In ancient Rome, salt was so important to trade that soldiers were paid their salt. salaryor wages, in salt, for example.
Salt’s value was partly as a food preservative, keeping unwanted microbes in check and allowing desirable ones to grow.
It was this remarkable ability to regulate bacterial growth that likely helped drive the development of fermented foods ranging from sauerkraut to salami, from olives to bread, from cheese to kimchi.
Nowadays, Salt has become ubiquitous and highly concentrated in increasingly processed diets..
There is growing evidence that too much salt (specifically sodium chloride added to preserve and enhance the flavor of many highly processed foods) is making people sick.
It can cause high blood pressure and contribute to heart attacks and strokes. It is also associated with an increased risk of developing stomach and colon cancer, Meniere’s disease, osteoporosis and obesity.
How could a substance once thought to be worth its weight in gold have transformed into something that many medical institutions consider a key indicator of disease?
Los Salt lobbying groups may be an answer to this question.
And as a gastroenterologist and research scientist at the University of Washington, I want to share the growing evidence that microbes deep in your gut might also shed some light on how salt contributes to disease.
Blood pressure powder
Sodium’s role in blood pressure and heart disease is largely due to its regulation of the amount of water within blood vessels.
In simple terms, the more sodium there is in the blood, the more water it draws into the blood vessels.
This leads to higher blood pressure and subsequently a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
Some people may be more or less sensitive to the effects of salt on blood pressure.
Recent research suggest another way salt may raise blood pressure: by altering the gut microbiome.
Salt causes a decrease in healthy microbes and the key metabolites they produce from fiber.
These metabolites reduce inflammation in blood vessels and keep them relaxed, which helps reduce blood pressure.
With the exception of certain organisms that thrive in salt, called halophiles, high salt levels can poison almost any microbe, even those your body wants to keep around.
That’s why people have long used salt to preserve food and keep unwanted bacteria away.
But modern diets are often high in sodium. According to the World Health Organization, a healthy intake is less than 2,000 milligrams a day for the average adult.
The average global intake of 4,310 milligrams of sodium has probably raised the amount of salt in the intestine above healthy levels.
Salt in obesity
Sodium is linked to other health consequences besides blood pressure, and your microbiome may play a role here, too.
High sodium diets and higher levels of sodium in stool are significantly linked to metabolic disorders, including elevated blood sugar levels, fatty liver disease, and weight gain.
In fact, one study estimated that for every gram of daily increase in dietary sodium, there is a 15% higher risk of obesity.
A standard dietary study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that those who followed a diet of ultra-processed foods for two weeks consumed about 500 more calories and weighed about 2 pounds more compared to those who followed a minimally processed diet.
One of the biggest differences between the two diets was the additional consumption of 1.2 grams of sodium with ultra-processed diets.
One of the main explanations for why increased salt can cause weight gain despite having no calories is that sodium increases cravings.
When sodium is combined with simple sugars and unhealthy fats, these so-called hyperpalatable foods may be linked to fat gain, as they are particularly good at stimulating reward centers in the brain and addiction-like eating behaviors.
Salt can also link to cravings through a short circuit in the gut microbiome.
Microbiome metabolites stimulate the release of a natural version of the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, the gut hormone GLP-1.
Through GLP-1, a healthy microbiome can control appetite, blood sugar levels, and the body’s decision to burn or store energy as fat. Too much salt can interfere with its release.
Other explanations for salt’s effect on metabolic diseases, with varying amounts of evidence, include increased sugar absorption, increased gut-derived corticosteroids, and a sugar called fructose that can lead to fat storage and decreased energy use for heat production.
Desalination nations
While many countries are implementing national salt reduction initiatives, sodium consumption in most of the world continues to increase.
Reducing dietary salt in the United States in particular continues to lag, while many European countries have begun to see benefits such as lower blood pressure and fewer deaths from heart disease through initiatives such as better labeling of salt content on packages, reformulation of foods to limit salt, and even salt taxes.
Comparison of nutritional data of fast food products across countries show considerable variability.
For example, the nuggets McDonald’s chicken nuggets are saltier in the United States, and even American Coca-Cola contains salt, an ingredient not present in other countries.
The salt industry in the United States can play a role in this regard.
He lobbied to prevent government regulations on salt in the 2010s, not unlike what the tobacco industry did with cigarettes in the 1980s.
Salty foods sell well.
One of the salt industry’s key voices for many years, the now-defunct Salt Institute, may have confused public health messages about the importance of salt reduction by emphasizing the less common cases where restriction can be dangerous.
But There is increasing evidence of the need to reduce salt in the overall diet, and institutions are responding.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued new guidance to industry calling for a voluntary phase-in reduction of salt in commercially prepared and processed foods.
The Salt Institute was disbanded in 2019. Other organizations, such as the American Frozen Foods Institute and major ingredient suppliers such as Cargill, are in favor of reducing salt in the diet.
Balanced portions
How can you feed your gut microbiome well while taking into account your salt intake?
Start by limit consumption of highly processed foods: salty meats (such as fast food and cured meats), salty treats (such as crackers and chips), and salty snacks (such as sodas, condiments, and breads).
Currently, up to 70% of the salt in the U.S. diet comes from packaged and processed foods.
Instead, focus on foods low in sodium and added sugar and high in potassium and fiber, such as unprocessed plant foods: beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Fermented foods, while typically high in sodium, can also be a healthier option due to high levels of short-chain fatty acids, fiber, polyphenols, and potassium.
Finally, consider the balance of sodium and potassium in your diet. While sodium helps keep fluid in your blood vessels, potassium helps keep fluid in your cells.
Dietary sodium and potassium are best consumed in balanced proportions.
While it’s good to take all advice with a grain of salt, your microbiome will thank you for being careful with salt.
By: BBC