The Sodium-Asthma Connection Antelope CA
The Sodium-Asthma Connection
Are you looking for new ways to get your asthma under control? If so, you may be considering lifestyle changes that would keep your symptoms at bay. One such approach? Cutting back on your salt intake.
Do Salt and Asthma Have a Link?
A low sodium diet offers a wide range of health benefits, including lower blood pressure, improved weight management and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. But does it also control asthma, too? A variety of older studies have suggested that it could make a difference, but the latest research contradicts this theory.
In fact, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham that was included in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in 2008 found no basis for the claim that reducing sodium correlates with improved respiratory function.
The Latest Study on Salt and Asthma
In the past, it was thought that when asthmatics limited their sodium intake, they experienced better asthma control (including improved lung function, less airway irritation and fewer symptoms overall). The theory was that the lower sodium amounts meant that the muscles inside the airways were less likely to contract and to ultimately lead to an asthma attack. However, this connection didn't hold true among the most recent group of Nottingham study participants.
An Invalid Theory?
Why the discrepancy in findings? The researchers from Nottingham believe that many earlier studies on the sodium and asthma connection were conducted on very small, limited groups. But to test the results on a more wide scale basis, they broadened out their efforts, looking at close to 200 patients. In this larger group, the link between asthma and salt simply didn't hold true...
