A new study found that adding extra salt to food at the dining table poses a higher risk of premature death. The study, published in the European Heart Journal this month, was done by researchers from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. The data analyzed around 500,000 adults who are part of the U.K. Biobank. Researchers studied the participant's feeding habits from 2006 to 2010.
As per their findings, those who add salt to their food have a 28 percent higher risk of dying early than those who never add extra salt. Men lose 1.5 years at 50, while women lose 2.28 years at the same age compared to those who never or rarely add extra seasoning.
Public health implications
According to the lead author, Professor Lu Qi, the study is the first to assess the relationship between adding salt to food and premature death.
Per USA Today, Qi added that adding salt to foods at the table is a typical eating behavior directly related to an individual's long-term preference for salty-tasting foods and habitual salt intake.
Adding salt to the table accounts for 6-20 percent of salt intake in the Western diet. Qi said it also provides a unique way to evaluate the association between habitual sodium intake and health risk.
Qi noted that their study showed that modifying eating habits such as reducing sodium intake will likely result in significant health benefits.
The study also revealed that eating a significant amount of fruits and vegetables reduced people's risk of premature death.
Qi linked the findings to fruits and vegetables as significant sources of potassium, which has protective effects.
The lead author said that since their report is a first in a relationship between adding salt to meals and mortality, there should be more studies to validate their findings before making recommendations.
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Limits of the study
The U.S.-based study involved many people in their research; participation in the U.K. Biobank is voluntary, and the results may not represent the general population well. The researchers also did not ask to specify how much salt was added to their food.
Professor Annika Rosengren, a senior medical researcher at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, noted that the effect of reducing salt consumption is controversial. She pointed out that a deficient sodium intake may not be beneficial or harmful. It is therefore essential to distinguish between recommendations on an individual basis and a population level, the Independent reported.
She said that hypertension's early detection and treatment is the evidence-based strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease. The intervention would involve lifestyle modification and salt-reducing techniques at the societal level.
The National Health Center (NHS) recommends that adults should not eat more than six grams of salt, or the amount equivalent to one teaspoon per day.
