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new fears over low salt New evidence is emerging to show that reducing your salt intake significantly may trigger premature ageing of your arteries as well as damaging your heart and your kidneys. The evidence that following Government advice to reduce salt intake could be harmful comes from a recently published study from the Wolfson Medical Centre in Tel Aviv. The study shows that above average levels of aldosterone in the blood in healthy young adults can cause fibrosis and stiffening of the walls of large arteries along with inflammation and muscle enlargement, changes usually associated with high blood pressure. Aldosterone is released into the blood when salt intake is reduced and its main function is to conserve salt by preventing its excretion via the kidneys in the urine. Sandy Macnair, medical adviser to the Salt Association, said: "Around the world, the average intake of salt is about ten grams per day. Salt is essential to maintain blood volume and some people are more sensitive than others to a low salt diet. Following government advice to eat no more than six grams a day would be sufficient to raise the level of aldosterone in the blood for most people. " Recently published reports from researchers at Glasgow University (1) have shown that in older people higher levels of aldosterone in the blood are associated with high blood pressure; while in young adults, high aldosterone levels indicate an increased likelihood of developing hypertension in later life which then increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke. A famous study (2) conducted in volunteer soldiers marching uphill in the heat and sweating profusely showed that the six grams of salt per day recommended by today's government as the maximum intake, is not sufficient to avoid sodium depletion in active individuals. Forty per cent of the group of soldiers on the low salt (six grams) diet either collapsed from heat prostration or had to stop because of heat exhaustion, while in the group whose salt intake was 15 grams only one (the oldest man in the study) had any sort of problem.
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