Dive Brief:
- A new study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine revealed that low-salt diets may not be as healthy for one’s heart as people previously believed, according to Health Day.
- Lead researcher Lynn Moore said that in the long-range heart study, participants didn’t appear to derive any true health advantage from a low-salt diet.
- The study did show improved heart health for people who increased their intake of potassium.
Dive Insight:
The study conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine isn’t the first to say low-sodium diets are not necessarily healthy. The findings still are interesting as it may make more people start to consider the theory. If consumer sentiment about sodium changes, it could affect what manufacturers do in the years ahead.
Many food manufacturers have been reducing their salt content in hopes of attracting consumers who are worried about consuming too much, but now people may think about the ingredient a little differently and not mind salt intake so much.
The study also found that higher intakes of potassium were associated with both lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease. Foods with more of those nutrients could be something on more store shelves soon.
Even without the heart health benefits, many nutritionists say a low-sodium diet is still better. The American Heart Association has questioned the study’s validity, and plans to keep recommending limiting salt intake.
The Food and Drug Administration has said that reducing salt in foods could prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses over the course of a decade in the U.S., and are not backing down on their concerns because of this or other studies.