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posted by Fnord666 on Monday March 30 2020, @11:56AM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-be-salty-about-it dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

A high-salt diet is not only bad for one's blood pressure, but also for the immune system. This is the conclusion of a current study under the leadership of the University Hospital Bonn. Mice fed a high-salt diet were found to suffer from much more severe bacterial infections. Human volunteers who consumed an additional six grams of salt per day also showed pronounced immune deficiencies. This amount corresponds to the salt content of two fast food meals. The results are published in the journal "Science Translational Medicine".

Five grams a day, no more: This is the maximum amount of salt that adults should consume according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). It corresponds approximately to one level teaspoon.

In reality, however, many Germans exceed this limit considerably: Figures from the Robert Koch Institute suggest that on average men consume ten, women more than eight grams a day.

This means that we reach for the salt shaker much more than is good for us. After all, sodium chloride, which is its chemical name, raises blood pressure and thereby increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

But not only that: "We have now been able to prove for the first time that excessive salt intake also significantly weakens an important arm of the immune system," explains Prof. Dr. Christian Kurts from the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University of Bonn.

Journal Reference
Katarzyna Jobin, Natascha E. Stumpf, Sebastian Schwab et al. A high-salt diet compromises antibacterial neutrophil responses through hormonal perturbation [$], Science Translational Medicine (DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay3850)


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  • (Score: 2) by choose another one on Monday March 30 2020, @01:22PM (5 children)

    by choose another one (515) Subscriber Badge on Monday March 30 2020, @01:22PM (#977187)

    So, ff you have high blood pressure (or a tendency to it if you forget the meds), AND autoimmune conditions where your overactive immune system regularly tries to kill you in interesting ways, what do you do?

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  • (Score: 2) by stretch611 on Monday March 30 2020, @01:36PM (1 child)

    by stretch611 (6199) on Monday March 30 2020, @01:36PM (#977193)

    my guess would be in those conditions, you die.

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  • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Monday March 30 2020, @03:26PM

    by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Monday March 30 2020, @03:26PM (#977234) Journal

    Use something besides salt to calm your immune system, and avoid processed foods. (Aspirin and Ibuprofen calm parts of the immune system, but not other parts...you need to talk to you doctor about your specific needs.)

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 30 2020, @07:34PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 30 2020, @07:34PM (#977325)

    Your immune system is probably doing what it's supposed to do under the circumstances it's being given. Stop believing big pharma whore doctors.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 30 2020, @11:01PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 30 2020, @11:01PM (#977403)

    In that case, you'd probably increase your potassium levels. Some blood pressure medications will decrease sodium, some others will increase potassium. Doctors are supposed to order lab work to determine whether either of those are safe and appropriate to the case.