Eating Salty Snacks Damages Arteries Within 30 Minutes

Most of us love salty snacks like French fries and potato chips, even though we also know they're bad for us. Rift GoldBut a new study finds that high-sodium foods may be worse than we think -- and can damage the arteries within just 30 minutes of eating them.

Researchers in Australia say that salt-laden treats can rapidly stop blood vessels from dilating, even in people with normal blood pressure.

Kacie M. Dickinson and her colleagues at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide monitored 16 healthy people, giving half a serving of low-salt tomato soup and the other half the same soup with 10 times more salt.

The researchers then switched the groups,RIFT Platinum giving participants who got a lower amount of sodium during the first round a higher dose in round two and vice versa.

After each serving, the study authors measured participants' arteries using ultrasound. They found that the arteries of those who consumed more salt widened about half as much as those who ate a less salty meal,rift gold resulting in restricted blood flow. The effects wore off in about two hours, according to the findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"The important thing about the study is that it adds to the evidence that sodium has both immediate and chronic effects on blood vessels," Dr. Sahil Parikh, an interventional cardiologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, told AOL Health.

The scientists were able to detect changes in blood vessel function -- which indicates early-stage atherosclerosis, a condition in which fat builds up in the blood vessels.RIFT Platinum That can lead to blood vessels blockages, which can result in heart attack or stroke.

When the heart pumps blood through the arteries, it produces a gas called nitric oxide, which causes the artery walls to relax and allows them to constrict or dilate when needed. Scientists believe that salt may somehow block the release of nitric oxide, making the artery walls harden for a brief period of time.

Though Parikh doesn't believe the Australian researchers broke any new ground, "what they have found is consistent with other studies," he said. "High salt diets are discouraged because they are a root cause of hypertension. TERA GoldThis study confirms our belief that patients with cardiovascular disease should consume a low sodium diet."

So what are salty snack lovers to do? Parikh suggests following the recommended guidelines of two grams of sodium per day. People who work out and exercise on a daily basis may need slightly more salt in their diet, he said.