Too much salt interferes with the activity of immune cells

A diet that is too salty is thought to have a detrimental effect on health, especially the activity of certain cells. Thankfully, these harmful effects should disappear soon.

salt

Most people overdose 9-12 grams of salt per day, rather than less than the World Health Organization’s recommended 5 grams. However, following this advice can reduce your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. stroke And a heart attack. However, researchers have recently discovered a new detrimental effect on an overly salty diet: disrupting the energy balance of immune cells and ultimately preventing them from functioning properly. Their study was published in the journal Circulation.

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Sodium interferes with white blood cell activity

5 grams of salt contains 2 grams of sodium. Previous studies have shown that high sodium levels in the blood can affect monocyte activation and function. Monocytes are a type of white blood cell that is involved in the destruction of viruses and bacteria. When they enter various tissues, they become macrophages. Macrophages also belong to the leukocyte family, and more specifically, they are phagocytes that help immune defense. Therefore, disrupting the function of these cells by excessive salt intake can affect an individual’s immune system. But until now, researchers have known this result without knowing exactly what is happening inside the cell.

Salt destroys the respiratory chains of cells

In this new study, scientists first sought to understand the metabolism of immune cells exposed to high concentrations of salt. However, no side effects became apparent until 3 hours after salt intake. “This disrupts the respiratory chains, produces less adenosine triphosphate, and consumes less oxygen,” explains Sabrina Geisberger, the lead author of the study. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) provides the energy needed for chemical metabolic reactions, cell division, and muscle strength. ATP is produced in organelles called mitochondria via cell respiration or respiratory chains. And it is the latter that suffers from the consumption of salts and sodium, which are substances that slow down ATP production in mitochondria.

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Unintentional consumption of salt also has a detrimental effect

To reach this conclusion, the researchers conducted two separate clinical trials. In the first study, participants (healthy men) supplemented their regular diet with 6 grams of salt per day for 14 days. Second, scientists analyzed the blood monocyte levels of participants after eating an Italian restaurant pizza containing 10 grams of salt. Their results showed reduced mitochondrial activity in both experiments. This means that the effects of sodium on mitochondria occur not only after long periods of high salt intake, but also after a single intake such as pizza.

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Mitochondrial activity returns to normal after 8 hours

A blood test of people who ate this Italian food showed an effect 3 hours after the meal, but almost disappeared after 8 hours. This is good news, meaning that mitochondrial activity is not permanently inhibited, but only a few hours after salt intake. Still, researchers want to continue their research to answer two more questions. What are the long-term effects of an overly salty diet on mitochondria? Does salt have the same effect on other cells? “”Cardiovascular Risks come to mind first, but some studies have shown that salts can affect immune cells in a variety of ways, “concludes Markus Kleinewietfeld. If these important cellular mechanisms are disrupted over time, they can have adverse effects, leading to inflammatory diseases of blood vessels and joints, as well as autoimmune diseases. WHO estimates that if global salt consumption is reduced to recommended levels, 2.5 million deaths can be avoided annually.

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References

Salt temporarily inhibits mitochondrial energy in mononuclear phagocytes

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salt-reduction