Salt Lovers May Curb Hypertension With Exercise

There's some good news for salt lovers! According to some new research, people who exercise are less likely to have their blood pressure elevated by a high sodium diet.

A diet high in salt has been widely accepted as one of the leading factors contributing to hypertension, but this new research shows that some "salt sensitive" people may have found a loop hole.

The research was conducted by Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans who studied a group of people in Northern China consisting of around 1900 men and women with an average age of 38. None of the participants were on hypertension medication.

During the the first week of the study the participants were given a diet that delivered 3000mg of sodium daily. The next week they were all given a diet consisting of 18,000mg of sodium a day. Everyone's blood pressure was measured 9 times each week and the participants were asked a series of questions to determine their exercise level. Those that had a 5% increase in systolic blood pressure when switched to the high sodium diet were labeled as "highly salt sensitive".

The results showed that the people who were the most active had a 38% less risk of being highly salt sensitive than the least active group. Participants in the next highest activity group had a 17% lower risk and those in the next to least activity group had a 10% lower risk. The researchers concluded that those who exercised significantly reduced their risk of developing high blood pressure due to salt sensitivity. The researchers noted that while this study's results are promising, they need to be repeated and peer reviewed.

While this study is good news for all of the salt lovers out there, caution should be used before using the study as justification to consume more sodium. It's important to note that even those that exercised were still at risk, since exercise only reduced the risk by 38%.

People who exercise should still have their blood pressure checked regularly and adjust their sodium intake accordingly.

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