A meta-analysis published in Nov. 9, 2011 in the American Journal of Hypertension confirms that low-sodium diets trigger a negative chain reaction in the body that increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack and heart disease. “After reading this new, in-depth medical study, the warning is: LOW-sodium diets are hazardous to your health.

Based on the Review of 167 clinical studies, the authors from the Copenhagen and Bispebjerg University Hospitals in Denmark concluded that dramatic salt reductions achieved only a slight reduction of 3.5 mmHg in mean blood pressure for individuals with hypertension, and not more than 1 mmHg in people without hypertension. To find out the other impacts of the low-salt diets the researchers put the individuals on a low salt diet (defined as 1,600 mg sodium per day)

Individuals placed on a low-salt diet had a significant increase in plasma renin, plasma aldosterone, plasma adrenaline, and plasma noradrenaline levels - all risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In addition, those placed on the low-salt diets developed significantly increased cholesterol, particularly the low-density cholesterol and large increases in triglycerides, both of which increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

The authors pointed out that the body's physiological mechanisms (renin, aldosterone) immediately kick in to retain salt the instant the body detects lower than required salt intakes. That is very likely the reason why such enormous salt reductions have demonstrated such a small effect on reducing blood pressure.