It has long been known that high salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure, but the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation's research study SCAPIS links it to more health risks.
Those who eat a lot of salt have a pattern of substances in their blood that indicate that fat is used as fuel to a lesser extent. With low salt intake, higher levels of substances are seen that indicate that it is used to a greater extent.
Those with high salt intake also have higher levels of fat-related substances that have been linked to inflammation and atherosclerosis in previous research.
The researchers emphasize that they see a connection and not a causal relationship, and to understand the underlying mechanisms, more and longer studies are required.
"We see a connection between salt intake and metabolism - and it is a new and important insight that may also provide clues to why high salt intake is often associated with obesity. This is the first time these connections have been investigated on such a large scale," says Jonas Wuopio, a specialist in internal medicine and researcher at Karolinska Institutet, in a press release.
In the study, high salt intake was calculated as 10 grams a day. The Swedish National Food Agency's daily recommendation is a maximum of 6 grams.
The study is based on data from almost 8,500 people between the ages of 50 and 64.
