Salt restriction impairs human reproductive function
As the title suggests, "Aphrodite, sex and salt ," an article just published in the July issue of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation is wide ranging in its medical and cultural purview.
The article describes "major effects on procreation, gestation and lactation" when humans reduce dietary salt intakes. Bernard Moinier, former staff executive of the European salt association and the French salt association, teamed with Dr. Tilman Drueke to explore neurophysiological mechanisms linking reproductive functions with salt appetite and hormone generation and conclude "a sodium replete state (is strongly related) to fertility and reproductive performance." Of particular note, they point out the hormonal changes that occur related to salt intake during pregnancy and remind us of "a reasonable degree of agreement that salt intake should not be reduced during pregnancy." This is an especially important finding because expectant mothers are the most important target for advice to use iodized salt.
