A new study at the Medical College of Georgia found that cellular aging is faster in obese and overweight teenagers who eat too much high sodium food. The findings were much higher than the recommended amount given by the American Heart Association, which is 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day or two-thirds of a teaspoon, according to Science Recorder.
The study involved 800 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18, who were then divided into two groups based on their salt intake, CBS Atlanta reported. Participants in the low-intake group consumed an average of less than 2,400 mg per day, while the teens in the high-intake group consumed an average of over 4,100 mg per day.
"Even in these relatively healthy young people, we can already see the effect of high [salt] intake, suggesting that high [salt] intake and obesity may act synergistically to accelerate cellular aging," said Dr. Haidong Zhu, lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia.
The researchers also looked at the effect that salt intake has on telomeres, which are the protective ends on chromosomes that shorten as a person grows older, according to HNGN. Other causes of telomere shortening include smoking, physical inactivity and high levels of fat in the body.The researchers examined the telomeres in each participant and found that overweight and obese teenagers in the high-intake group have shorter telomeres, but normal-weight teenagers in the same group did not.
Zhu said that overweight teens looking to lower their risk of heart disease will have an easier time reducing salt intake than losing weight, CBS Atlanta reported. "Lowering [salt] intake, especially if you are overweight or obese, may slow down the cellular aging process that plays an important role in the development of heart disease," Zhu said.
The authors of the study said that the results will be considered preliminary until the study is officially published in a medical journal, Science Recorder reported. They added that while a correlation exists between eating salty foods and aging faster, it should not be referred to as a cause and effect relationship.
