Adding Salt May Risk Diabetes

Those who always add salt to their food were 28% more likely to have developed Type 2 diabetes over a 12 year period. Tulane University epidemiologists analyzed data from 402,982 mildly overweight subjects in the UK Biobank.

All were diabetes-free at the beginning of a 12 year period. Each completed a survey regarding their use of salt in food, and the group was divided into those who rarely added salt, sometimes did, usually did, and always did. Compared to those who never added, those who sometimes did were 11% more likely to have developed diabetes, those who usually did were 18% more likely, and those who always did were 28% more likely.

Looking at other characteristics of each of the groups, there were few differences in the percentages who consumed alcohol, regularly exercised, had high cholesterol, had high blood pressure. However, each group that added more and more salt had a greater percentage of tobacco smokers. The percentage who currently smoked increased from 8% in the never adding salt group to 11%, 15%, and 23% in those adding sometimes, usually, or always.

So adding more salt is associated with smoking. Since other studies have shown that smoking and nicotine exposure triggers insulin resistance, a rise in blood sugar, and the development of type 2 diabetes, salt ingestion may not be the diabetes trigger. We do know that one common cause for both salt craving and smoking is stress, but no psychological studies were carried out on the subjects.

This is a perfect example of the situation where a given scientific study ends up raising more questions than it answers. The two recommendations we can make: don’t add salt to your food AND don’t smoke.

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(23)00118-0/fulltext#
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/smoking-and-diabetes.html

#salt #saltcraving #diabetes #smoking #insulinresistance