According to this study published in November 2023, this bad eating habit can promote the development of type 2 diabetes. Contrary to what one might think, this ingredient, which increases the risk of suffering from diabetes by 39%, has not nothing to do with sugar. It’s actually quite the opposite, since it involves salt.
The list of ingredients to avoid is long when you have type 2 diabetes. In fact, sugar occupies an important and sometimes unsuspected part of many foods that make up our basic diet. But this element is not the only one responsible for the development of diabetes, a point highlighted by this study, the results of which were published on November 1, 2023 in the scientific journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
According to the authors of the report, People who tend to add salt to their dishes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The role of this ingredient in the development of pathologies is already known to doctors, but the fact that it plays a role in the development of diabetes was previously unsuspected. “We already know that limiting salt can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension, but this study shows for the first time that taking the salt shaker off the table can also help prevent type 2 diabetes.”, warns Dr Lu Qi, one of the lead authors of the study, in a press release from Tulane University in the United States.
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5g of salt maximum per day
Results based on the monitoring of 400,000 adults carried out over a period of twelve years during which researchers observed the formation of no less than 13,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. The authors of the study establish a correlation link between the propensity of these adults to add salt to their dishes and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Thus, those who “sometimes” add salt to their dishes are 13% more likely to develop such a pathology. A risk that amounts to 20% for those who salt “frequently” and up to 39% for those who have the bad habit of systematically salting their dishes.
For the main author of the study, a consumer can easily get rid of this tendency which consists of salting all dishes. “It’s not a difficult change to make, but it can have a huge impact on your health,” recalls Dr. Lu Qi. As a reminder, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises consuming a maximum of 5g of salt per day for an adult.
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A quantity which corresponds to the equivalent of a level teaspoon. The researchers of the study, however, are unable to explain how this salt consumption is correlated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Evoking the hypothesis according to which salt promotes consumption of greater quantities of food , researchers call for further studies on the subject.
A journalist passionate about social issues and current affairs, Hugo puts his pen at the service of information. Interested in all themes, from the impact of artificial intelligence on…