Researchers at Japan’s University of Niigata Prefecture surveyed nearly 1,600 diabetic adults about their diets and sodium intake, and tracked participants’ cardiovascular complications over the course of eight years. Diabetics who took in 5,900 mg of sodium per day had double the heart disease risk compared to those who consumed 2,800 daily mg. MORE: Is It A Heart Attack? This is one of the first studies to explore how sodium consumption affects diabetes, so experts can’t say for sure of how a super-salty diet puts the heart at risk. “We do know that salt and cardiovascular hormones don’t get along well together,” says Endocrine Society spokesperson Robert Carey, MD. “There’s more of a chance for development of inflammation in the blood vessels, heart, and kidney when salt is consumed.” So when it comes to salt, easy does it. Try to stick to the American Heart Association recommendation to limit sodium to 2,400 mg daily, along with maintaining a healthy weight by keeping calories in check, since obesity is also associated with a heightened heart disease risk. “Caloric restriction combined with sodium restriction would afford the best chance for diabetics to avoid cardiovascular disease,” Carey says. These 8 delicious low-salt recipes can help get you started. MORE: Here’s What A Diabetic Chef Eats
