March 11, 2013
Salt - how we love salt in our food.
In a recent study in the premier journal NATURE, Kuchroo et al. looked at salt intake and immune system function. Increasing salt intake in the diet is associated with an increase in a powerful immune cell called the TH 17 cell. These cells are up-regulated in the immune system and likely are a player in the immune dys-regulation that we call auto-immunity.
Auto-immunity is a form of disease where the immune system becomes disoriented and attacks us. There are many know triggers for this event to take place within us. Salt is the latest player in the game. We have known for some time that these are some other triggers for auto-immunity:
1) vitamin D deficiency
2) chemical exposure - i.e. smoking, BPA, etc...
3) some pharmaceutical drug use like valproic acid
4) viral infections - EBV, RSV
5) abnormal gut flora/microbes can trigger the immune system to overreact.
Of this list #1 and 5 appear to be the most critical with 5 being heavily influenced by your mode of birth, maternal diet and health, antibiotic exposure, your diet and stress reactions.
Understanding this phenomena will help us prevent the onset of diseases like type 1 diabetes, lupus, celiac disease, crohn's, rheumatoid arthritis, and on and on.
Salt is worth reducing,