Low Chloride Levels Linked With Higher Mortality

Salt is composed of two compounds: sodium and chloride. It is well known that too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure. Now a study suggests that having low blood levels of chloride may be associated with a higher risk of mortality high levels of sodium.

The researchers in this study analyzed data from approximately 13,000 people who had high blood pressure and had been followed for more than 35 years. They found that individuals with the least amount of blood chloride levels had a 20% higher mortality rate than people with higher chloride levels.

The researchers are confounded by these findings, as high salt intake has been identified as a bad thing. They state that a clear relationship needs to be identified between chloride levels and mortality risk.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on August 26, 2013, in Hypertension.

If you’re interested in adding more chloride to your diet without increasing your sodium levels, try adding foods with high amounts of chloride to your diet. These include seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and olives.