High salt diets, puberty, and fertility

According to a study presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology, high salt diets may delay puberty and thereby shorten fertility span. Western diets have an increasingly high level of salt, and these finding may impact the reproductive health of future generations.

In the lab, researchers fed rats either low (normal) salt diets, high salt diets, or salt-free diets. The rats with high-sodium diets and with sodium-free diets had delayed puberty. The findings indicate that salt balance may play an important role in hormone regulation, puberty onset, and perhaps even fertility. The results hint that salt may play an even greater role in puberty and fertility than do fats in the diet. The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested a recommended daily allowance of 5 g of salt per day for adults.
Reference:European Society of Endocrinology. “High salt intake may delay puberty.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150517071924.htm>.