18 June 2024 , 13:06
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People who can't resist sprinkling salt on their food could be upping their chances of getting Type 2 diabetes by nearly 40 per cent, shock research has unearthed.
Stuffing your face with too much salt isn't just a worry for your blood pressure - scientists now reckon it's connected with your risk of developing diabetes too. Scientists believe that adding salt encourages you to eat more which in turn leads to obesity and Type 2 diabetes
Right now in the UK, there's a whopping 4.3 million people diagnosed with diabetes most have Type 2, and that's the kind you can get from a dodgy diet and lazing about too much. Another 2.4 million Brits could be queuing up to join the diabetes club if they're not careful. Some brainy boffins from Tulane University across the pond have been sifting through the UK Biobank's treasure trove of data, keeping tabs on 400,000 people over about twelve years and watching more than 13,000 walk into the Type 2 diabetes trap.
Compared with those who hardly ever grabbed the saltshaker, the "sometimes," "usually," or "always" crowd had their chances of being diagnosed leap by 13 per cent, 20 per cent, and a heart-stopping 39 per cent. Dr Lu Qi, who heads up the team at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, dropped a bombshell: "We already know that limiting salt can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, but this study shows for the first time that taking the saltshaker off the table can help prevent Type 2 diabetes as well."
The study, detailed in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, links habitual salt intake to increased BMI and a heftier waist-to-hip ratio, reports Gloucestershire Live. Prof Qi contends the root problem isn't salt itself but rather that it prompts people to consume larger meals which then pave the way to obesity and inflammation.
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He highlighted future plans for a clinical trial to monitor salt consumption's impacts directly and stated: "It's not a difficult change to make, but it could have a tremendous impact on your health."