Salt - the forgotten remedy for infections?

Salt - the forgotten remedy for infections?

Excessive salt consumption is often perceived as a health risk, but new insights show that salt can also have positive properties. In the ORF health program "Consciously Healthy", Dr. Christine Reiler on January 4, 2025, how underestimated sodium bombs, such as those hidden in effervescent tablets, shape our health. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, kidney damage and cardiovascular problems, as Prim. Dr. Marcus Säemann from the Ottakring Clinic warns. A study by the MedUni Vienna even describes a possible connection between excessive salt consumption and an increased risk of stomach cancer. At the same time, a morning drink with water and salt on social media is advertised as health -promoting, which, according to experts, requires caution.

salt as an immune amplifier

A surprising perspective comes from the University of Regensburg, where researchers have found that salt can act as a "primal antibiotic". This is done by enriching salt at infection points, which mobilizes immune cells such as macrophages and increases their activity. Jonathan Jantsch and Jens Titze have discovered that with mice that were on a low -salt diet, salt bearings occurred in the event of injuries to support wound healing. According to Jantsch, this could indicate that salt reinforces the immune reaction and thus has the properties that control infection, but everyday salt consumption should not be increased in order to avoid the known risks such as high blood pressure, as on science.orf.at .

These opposite perspectives on the role of salt in nutrition and health raise new questions about the balance and the correct use of sodium connections. The insight that salt can have both positive and negative effects requires a differentiated view and further research needs to understand the exact mechanisms and, if necessary, to develop therapeutic applications.