Salt makes your body hold more water, which increases blood volume and raises pressure in your blood vessels.
Scientific Claim
Sodium intake increases plasma volume through osmotic water retention, leading to higher blood pressure due to increased fluid in a closed circulatory system.
Original Statement
“Sodium is osmotically active, which means wherever sodium goes, water follows. When you eat a meal high in salt, sodium gets absorbed into your bloodstream. And because your body wants to keep the concentration of sodium in your blood tightly controlled, it pulls water in from the surrounding tissues to dilute it. That increases your plasma volume temporarily. And more fluid in a closed circulatory system means higher pressure. It's basic fluid mechanics, not some complex hormonal cascade.”
Context Details
Domain
cardiology
Population
human
Subject
sodium intake
Action
increases
Target
plasma volume through osmotic water retention
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
(Pro)renin Receptor Blockade Prevents Increases in Systolic Blood Pressure, Sodium Retention, and αENaC Protein Expression in the Kidney of 2K1C Goldblatt Mice
This study found that blocking a specific receptor can prevent high blood pressure and fluid retention caused by sodium, supporting the idea that sodium intake affects blood pressure through fluid retention.
This study shows that the type of sodium we consume can affect our blood pressure, with sodium chloride causing a greater increase in blood pressure than sodium bicarbonate.
Contradicting (2)
This study found that eating more potassium can help counteract the negative effects of high sodium intake on blood pressure.
This study found that reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure in many people, which contradicts the idea that sodium intake always increases blood pressure through fluid retention.