EXCESSIVE SALT : DELAYS PUBERTY

Our body needs a small amount of sodium to work properly, but too much sodium is bad for our health. Excess sodium can increase our blood pressure and your risk for a heart disease and stroke.

 Researchers from the University of Wyoming in the U.S did a  new study that claims that intake of excessive salt can

delay puberty, leading to a number of problems. In addition to behavioral issues and stress, delay in puberty may also result in infertility and its associated problems.

 This study  was presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin. As the salt content of Western diets continues to increase these findings could have significant consequences for the reproductive health of future generations.

Researchers from University of Wyoming, USA led by Ms Dori Pitynski are investigating the effect of varying levels of dietary salt on the onset of puberty in rats. They found that rats fed a high salt diet (equivalent to 3 or 4 times the recommended daily allowance for humans) had a significant delay in reaching puberty compared to those fed a normal (low) salt diet. Interestingly, rats that had salt completely excluded from their diet also had delayed puberty.

Ms Pitynski and colleagues concluded that salt intake is necessary for onset of puberty but that excesses can affect reproductive health. Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility.  Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility

There have been a lot of studies that have shown the effects of dietary fats on puberty at various levels, but no one has previously looked at the effects of salt in terms of puberty and reproductive health. Ms. Pitynski said that Our work shows that high levels of fat and salt have opposite effects on

 

   reproductive health.” The high fat diets ended up accelerating the onset of puberty, but when rats are fed the excessive salt diets even with the high fat diet combined, there was still a delay in the onset of puberty. This study for the first time showing that salt content in diets are more important and valuable in terms of puberty and reproductive health than fat content in diets.

 According to recent guidelines issued by the World Health Organization revealed that people consume far more sodium in the form of salt than the actual requirement of 5 grams a day for adults. Sodium is found in much higher amounts in processed foods, such as bacon, bread and processed meat as well as in condiments such as soy sauce and stock cubes; which are becoming more prevalent in the Western diet. “Current salt-loading in Western populations has the potential to drastically affect reproductive health, and warrants further attention” said Ms Pitynski.

What is processed food? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans define the term "processed food" includes "any raw agricultural commodity [product] that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling."¹ Processing certain foods can make them last longer by killing organisms in the food or slowing their growth.

Ms. Pitynski said that more research is needed and more people need to be paying attention to the amount of salt that they are consuming on a daily basis. It is even more important for parents to control how much salt their children are getting on a daily basis, since the delay of puberty in their child can have significant negative impacts later in life in terms of having children.

Sodium Reduction Is actually Challenging

Types of food matter: More than 40% of the sodium we eat each day comes from just 10 types of food ranging from the number 1 source—breads and rolls—to snack foods, which are 10th on the list.

Sources of food matter: About 65% of sodium comes from food bought at retail stores, where you can look for lower sodium choices. About 25% comes from foods made in restaurants, where it can be difficult to see how much sodium is in your meal.

Brands of food matter: Different brands of the same foods may have different sodium levels. For example, sodium in chicken noodle soup can vary by as much as 840 mg per serving.

Recent guidelines from WHO state that populations around the world are consuming much more salt than is physiologically necessary.

But with this study it is now clear how a mismanaged dose of sodium ruin your health. so from today itself keep a check on your as well as your childs, intake of salts.