Excessive salt affects bones

A HIGH-SALT diet adds to a woman’s risk of breaking a bone after menopause, whatever her bone density is, claims a study presented at The Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. Older women who consumed  the highest  amount of sodium  had more than four times the risk of a nonvertebral fracture, or fracture at any site other than the spine. That finding held true  even  after the researchers made adjustments for many other characteristics that could affect fracture risk, said the study’s lead author, Kiyoko Nawata, PhD.

“Excessive sodium intake appears to be a risk factor for bone fragility. It is therefore important to consider excessive sodium intake in dietary therapy for osteoporosis,” said Dr Nawata, a professor of health and nutrition at the University of Shimane in Matsue, Japan. (Photo ? Peggy Greb /ARS)