Research by academics at the University of Nottingham has found that, contrary to previous reports, a salt-free or low-salt diet does not alleviate the symptoms of asthma.
During the study, 200 asthma patients who follow a strict low- salt diet were either given a sodium supplement or a placebo for six weeks.
Dr. Zara Pogson, a clinical research fellow at the university, said she initially believed those asthmatics who took the supplement would see a deterioration in their condition.
But she actually found there was no difference between those patients who took the supplement and those who were given the placebo.
Dr. Pogson said: "Despite the clear benefit of a low-sodium diet on cardio-vascular risk factors, there is no therapeutic benefit in the use of a low-sodium diet on asthma control in our study population."
She added: "We were disappointed that a simple measure, such as a decrease in sodium intake, does not result in asthma control improvements.
"We therefore cannot advise people with asthma to alter their sodium intake to improve control of their asthma, despite the fact that a low-sodium diet improves cardiovascular risk factors. "This study suggests that further dietary research in asthma should be directed to factors other than sodium."
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