Low-salt diet increases insulin resistance in healthy subjects

Low-salt diets have been thought to activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) and sympathetic nervous systems, both of which can increase insulin resistance - a precursor to Type II Diabetes. To verify this phenomenon, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Vanderbilt University and the University of Utah tested the hypothesis in otherwise healthy subjects. Healthy individuals were studied after 7 days of a low salt diet (1.2 g salt/d) and 7 days of high-salt diet (9 g salt/d) in a random order. Insulin resistance was measured after each diet and compared statistically. The low-salt diet was found to be significantly associated with an increase in insulin resistance. Read more..........