Lightly 'guilty'? 181 countries study: The saltier you eat, the longer you live! Is it reliable?

"Dad, if you have high blood pressure, stop eating salted fish. It's not good for your body to eat so salty!" Xiao Yang finally returned home, but found that the table was full of spicy dishes, and his own The old father was diagnosed with high blood pressure just last month, and he should have controlled his diet.

"What does it have to do with one or two meals every now and then? My blood pressure has been stabilized recently, and I heard that eating salty food leads to longevity!" But the old father didn't take it seriously, and even refuted her.

"What does it seem like? How bad is eating salty food for your health? Many doctors have said it. Didn't the doctor tell you to eat lightly last time?"

"The last time I watched TV, the experts said that there was a study of 1.81 million people who found that people with strong taste will live longer . It was the experts who told me not to eat so bland food." The old father used fermented bean curd bibimbap. , while speaking.

Xiao Yang was very speechless, completely ignorant of the so-called "the saltier you eat, the longer you live" research.

So what are the facts? Does eating too much salt prolong or reduce life? Xiaojiu uses research to tell you the answer.

1. The saltier you eat, the longer your lifespan? Check out the latest research from Harvard

"I've eaten more salt than you've ever eaten!" This sentence is often used by the older generation to educate the younger generation. Although it is a joke, it is no exaggeration that Chinese people eat salt in the world. the most.

A research report by Queen Mary University of London shows that in the past 40 years, the average Chinese ate more than 10 grams of salt a day, more than twice the recommended salt intake!

As for what Xiao Yang's father mentioned, "a study of 1.81 million people found that people with strong taste will live longer", Xiao Jiu found that there is indeed such a study.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, included data on sodium intake, life expectancy and mortality from 181 countries around the world . Life expectancy can be increased by 2.6 years, and healthy life expectancy at age 60 can be increased by 0.3 years .

Excessive salt intake has long been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, so the findings of this study have turned many people's perceptions upside down.

So, does eating more salt really lead to longer life, as the study results show? In fact, this is not the case. The study has certain limitations. The researchers also admit that this is only an observational study conclusion and cannot be used as evidence for guideline recommendations .

In fact, there is no doubt that eating too much salt is harmful to the human body. A new study from Harvard shows that the more salt you eat, the higher the risk of premature death from all causes and the shorter your lifespan .

The researchers gave 501,379 participants in the UK Biobank database, aged 40-69, a questionnaire on the frequency of salting their food. After an average of 9 years of follow-up, a total of 18,474 participants died prematurely.

The analysis found that the more frequently salt was added to food, the greater the risk of all-cause premature death . Conversely, by not adding extra salt to food, it is less likely to harm health, and it is also beneficial to lower blood pressure levels in the population.

2. There are 3 kinds of abnormality in the body, it is time to reduce salt

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, 1.65 million people worldwide die each year from eating too much salt. For China, the consumption of salt is also high.

According to the Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021), the salt intake for Chinese household cooking was 12.0 g/day, 10.4 g/day, 9.3 g/day on average in 2002, 2012 and 2015, respectively. /day, while the WHO recommends that adults consume less than 5 grams of salt per day. That is to say, although the salt intake of Chinese residents is decreasing, it is still 86% higher than the maximum recommended intake .

Several studies have shown that eating too much salt can increase blood pressure, accelerate vascular aging, and be detrimental to cardiovascular health. A high-salt diet was also associated with stroke, with a 6% increased risk of stroke for every 1.15 g/day increase in salt intake.

In addition, a high-salt diet will also reduce the bone density and bone strength of rats, making you more prone to fractures; it will stimulate the gastric mucosa and increase the risk of gastric diseases such as gastritis and gastric cancer; it will affect cognitive ability and impair memory.

Therefore, Xiaojiu reminds everyone that if the body has the following discomforts, it is necessary to control salt in time and check as soon as possible:

1. Dry mouth and thirst

A high-salt diet can cause an imbalance in the amount of salt and water in the body, and in order to restore the balance, the brain signals thirst.

2, the fingers become thicker

A high-salt diet can easily cause water retention and thicken fingers.

3. Frequent urination

A high-salt diet can increase the burden on the kidneys, which need to excrete excess salt through urine, resulting in frequent urination.

3. Is low sodium salt good? Low sodium salts may reduce all-cause death, study finds

So, in order to reduce the intake of salt, how should we eat salt?

At present, there are various types of salt on the market, including iodized salt, low-sodium salt, sea salt, lake salt, selenium-containing salt, etc. It is recommended to replace ordinary table salt with low-sodium salt. Low sodium salt is to add about 30% potassium chloride to iodized table salt instead of sodium to reduce the sodium content in table salt.

A study by Peking University published in BMJ showed that replacing common table salt with low-sodium salt could reduce about 450,000 cardiovascular deaths each year in China .

Yu Luyang, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Shenhe District, Liaoning Province, said that low-sodium salt is a nutrient salt, adding 30% potassium chloride to reduce the content of sodium chloride by 70%, which does not affect the feeling of salty taste, but also reduces the content of sodium chloride by 70%. The salt intake is reduced to 1/4-1/3, and the intake of potassium is also increased, and potassium can restrict sodium, promote the excretion of sodium, and reduce the occurrence of water and sodium retention .

It should be noted that not everyone is suitable for eating low-sodium salt.

Because low sodium salt contains more potassium, people with renal insufficiency and hyperkalemia should consume it with caution , otherwise it may cause potassium accumulation in the body, causing arrhythmia, heart failure, etc.

Finally, remind everyone: the salt intake per person per day is best not to exceed 6 grams. In order to avoid accidentally ingesting too much salt, it is recommended to buy a salt control spoon, which can strictly control the daily salt intake.

All in all, salt must not be eaten or eaten too much. Eating too much salt is harmful to the body without any benefit. In daily life, we must always pay attention to controlling the intake of salt to reduce health risks.

References

[1] "The latest research from Harvard University: The saltier you eat, the shorter your lifespan". Mays Medicine. 2022-07-14

[2] "[Health] 5 signs appear in the body, reminding you to eat too much salt! ". People's Daily. 2018-03-29

[3] "Low-sodium salt is healthier than regular salt? 4 types of people are best not to buy, it is very troublesome to eat wrong". Tencent Medical Dictionary. 2020-05-12

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