Eating Too Salty "Bursts" Blood Vessels in 30 Minutes
Is the damage salt does to blood vessels a long-term process? A new study from Australia challenges this view. Researchers found that after consuming high-salt foods, vascular dilation capacity is affected within just 30 minutes, which in turn damages the heart. Scientists say that even with normal blood pressure, excessive salt intake can quickly harm blood vessels.
The British "Daily Mail" recently reported on this study. Australian scientists studied 16 healthy volunteers, with one group eating high-salt food containing 4 grams of salt and the other group eating low-salt food with 0.3 grams of salt. Scientists measured the blood flow in their brachial arteries before and after the volunteers' meals. The study, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," showed that after just half an hour, the blood flow of volunteers who ate high-salt food was affected. Their blood vessel dilation was half that of those who ate low-salt food, and this effect peaked after 1 hour.
Dr. Emil Mohler, a vascular medicine expert at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that under normal conditions, the heart produces nitric oxide when pumping blood through vessels; nitric oxide relaxes the blood vessels, ensuring smooth blood flow. Substances like salt and fat can block the release of nitric oxide, thereby hindering the ability of blood vessels to dilate. Multiple studies have shown that once vascular function is damaged in this way, it definitely increases the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Tips for Reducing Salt Intake:
1. Add salt later, use less, or no salt when cooking; especially avoid adding table salt to food.
2. Try to avoid eating in restaurants. If you do, you can ask for less salt in your dishes. Also, avoid ordering soup.
3. Use other seasonings to compensate for the taste after reducing salt, such as vinegar, plant-based seasonings, etc.
4. Rinse the salt off salt-preserved foods.
5. Eat less foods that have undergone multiple processing stages.