NUIG-led research raises questions about salt intake

Galway Bay fm newsroom – New international research, co-led by NUIGalway, has revealed that too little salt can be as bad for your health as too much.
The research has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The current intake of sodium, or salt, is typically between 3 and half and 4 grams per day.
Current guidelines recommend an intake of about 2 grams per day, but this latest research reveals that this amount may be too low.
The study was led by investigators from the Population Health Research Institute and tracked salt consumption by more than 100 thousand people for almost 4 years.
Researchers looked at the connection between salt intake and blood pressure, heart disease and death.
They found that low intake of salt does not necessarily reduce blood pressure and that a moderate intake of salt had a better effect.
However, the research also confirmed the association between high salt intake and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
According to Professfor of Translational Medicine at NUIG, Martin O’ Donnell, the research addresses an important population health issue.