Low Salt and Insulin Resistance

Let’s talk about the connection between low salt intake and insulin resistance.

When a person has chronically low salt intake, which frequently occurs with people who have a low salt diet or have been told to restrict their salt intake. This can actually lead to an insulin resistance picture.

When salt intake is low, insulin increases to help the kidneys to retain more sodium. When insulin is high, this can contribute to an insulin resistance picture.

With an insulin resistance picture we are able to produce enough insulin but the insulin isn’t able to go into the insulin receptors on the cells and allow glucose to go into the cells and be useful within the cells and make energy.

An insulin resistance picture can lead to pre-diabetes or type II diabetes. What we now know in terms of insulin resistance is if we increase salt in the diet, and we can no longer in that chronically depleted salt state, it increases insulin sensitivity.