Not only sugar, but also excess salt increases the risk of diabetes. New scientific study
Salt added to foods may increase the risk of developing type 2 and autoimmune diabetes. This is the finding of the
research from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
, presented at the annual meeting of EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) in Lisbon, Sept. 11-15, 2017.
Sodium is actually the element to be monitored. It is present in salt-sodium chloride, NaCl-at a rate of 40 percent. That is, 2.5 grams of salt corresponds to 1 gram of sodium, and vice versa. But it is also found in sodium glutamate.
Salt, never more than 5 grams
Thus, WHO recommendations on reducing daily salt intakes-to be kept strictly below 5 grams-find further confirmation.
The new Swedish research even shows that 2.5 grams of excess salt corresponds to a 43 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The risk of getting diabetes varies according to sodium/salt intake, which the researchers classified into three groups. Recurrence of diabetes in the group with high salt consumption is 58% higher than in the group that qualified for lower consumption.
- Low consumption, less than 2.4 grams of sodium (6 grams of salt)
- average consumption, between 2.4 and 3.15 grams of sodium ( between 6 and 7.9 grams of salt)
- High consumption, more than 3.15 grams (more than 7.9 grams of salt)
Silent Threat
The study also examined the relationship between sodium consumption and LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults), a form of type 1 diabetes in which insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the body’s immune system. This form of diabetes develops very slowly, even over years. And when it occurs, in adulthood, it can be mistaken for type 2 diabetes.
The detrimental effects of sodium on the risk of developing LADA were found to be more pronounced than for type 2 diabetes. In fact, the likelihood of getting the autoimmune form of diabetes increases by 73 percent for each additional gram of sodium. In individuals who are genetically most at risk, among those who consume a lot of sodium, the incidence of disease is fourfold in comparison with individuals who consume less.
