Cutting salt from diet can slash risk of heart problems by 20%, says study

A salt-free diet can reduce the risk of heart problems and strokes by almost 20 per cent. Citing a study, a report from The Guardian early Sunday (August 27) said researchers found that those who neveradd salt to meals were 18 per centless likely to develop Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a heart condition, compared with those who always do. The report said that the number of people diagnosed with this heart condition has increased by 50 per cent in thelast decade to 1.5 million.

Atrial Fibrillation causes an irregularoften abnormally fast heart rate. People with this condition are five times more likely to have a stroke.“Our study indicates that lower frequency of adding salt to foods was associated with lower risk of AF.”

The findings

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The study used data from the UK Biobank which involved over 500,000 people between the ages of40 and 70 across the country from2006 to 2010. The study said that those who already suffered from AF,coronary artery disease, heart failure or stroke were excluded.

The participants were asked how regularly they salted their mealsfrom “never/rarely”, “sometimes”, “usually” or “always” do so. The study then tracked them over a period of 11 yearsto see how this affected them. Those who never salted their foodswere 18 per centless likely to suffer AF. And people who sometimes added salt to their meals were 15 per cent less likely to suffer from the condition.

The study further suggested that even those who switch fromadding salt to “usually” adding it to their meals could see a big difference in their risk.Those in the usual group were 12% less likely to develop AF compared with those who “always” do so.

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