Salt and osteoporosis

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Salt and osteoporosis

Yet another relationship has been noticed between salt intake and

osteoporosis. Studies on both humans and animals have shown that

excess salt intake increases the loss of calcium through the urine.

" Every 2,300 milligrams of sodium excreted by the kidney pulls 20 to

60 milligrams of calcium out with it, " says Randi Wolf, Ph.D.,

epidemiologist and research assistant professor at Columbia

University. That's bad because " the calcium that shows up in urine

comes from breakdown of bone, " says Wolf.

If calcium intake is adequate, the body can compensate for higher

sodium intake by increasing absorption of calcium from the

gastrointestinal tract. But if you lose more calcium than you take

in, your body leeches calcium from your bones, increasing your risk

for osteoporosis.

" If you stick to the recommended intake of sodium (no more than 2,400

milligrams per day) and consume adequate calcium (1,200 milligrams

per day for people over 50), you will probably be protected, " says

Dr. Wolf. " But if you consume more than the recommended sodium

intake, you may need to up your calcium consumption. "

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