Too much salt in western diets is delaying puberty in adolescents and may lead to fertility problems in later life, a study has found.
Researchers at the University of Wyoming in the United States have found that rats fed a high salt diet – about three to four times the recommended daily allowance for humans – had a significant delay in reaching puberty compared to those fed a normal salt diet, although the study did not say for how long.
Rats that had salt completely excluded from their diet also had delayed puberty.
“Our work shows that high levels of fat and salt have opposite effects reproductive health” says lead scientist Dori Pitynski.
“A high fat diet is thought to accelerate the onset of puberty but our work demonstrates that rats fed a high salt diet – even with a high fat diet – will still show a delay in puberty onset.
“Our research highlights for the first time that the salt content of a diet has a more significant effect on reproductive health than the fat content.”
The research team concluded that salt intake is necessary for the onset of puberty but that excesses can affect reproductive health. Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility.
Recent guidelines from World Health Organisation (WHO) state that populations around the world are consuming much more salt than is physiologically necessary, and certainly more that the WHO recommended daily allowance of 5 g of salt per day for adults.
High levels of salt exist in processed foods such as bread, processed meats like bacon, snack foods as well as in condiments such as soy sauce and stock cubes.
According to the group Action on Salt bread alone accounts for one fifth of daily salt intake.
Many estimates note the actual daily consumption of salt as being as high as 8.6 grams per day.
Doctors have long warned that eating too much salt is associated with high blood pressure, stroke and early death but this is the first study to reveal a link to reproduction.
“Current salt-loading in Western populations has the potential to drastically affect reproductive health, and warrants further attention,” Ms Pitynski says.
