Is the damage to blood vessels from salt a long-term process? A new study from Australia challenges this view. Researchers found that after consuming a high-salt meal, vascular dilation ability is affected within just 30 minutes, which in turn can harm the heart. Scientists say that even with normal blood pressure, excessive salt intake can rapidly damage blood vessels.
The British Daily Mail recently reported on this study. Australian scientists studied 16 healthy volunteers, with one group consuming a high-salt meal containing 4 grams of salt and the other a low-salt meal with 0.3 grams of salt. Scientists measured the blood flow in their brachial arteries before and after the meals. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study showed that after just half an hour, the blood flow of volunteers who ate the high-salt meal was affected; their blood vessel dilation was half that of those who ate the low-salt meal, and this effect peaked after one hour.
Dr. Emil Mohler, a vascular medicine expert at the University of Pennsylvania, explained that under normal conditions, the heart produces nitric oxide as it pumps blood through the vessels; nitric oxide relaxes the vessels, ensuring smooth blood flow. However, 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 salt, or no salt when cooking; especially avoid adding table salt to your food.
2. Try to avoid eating in restaurants. If you do eat out, 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 salt from salt-preserved foods.
5. Eat less highly processed food.