Many clinicians recommend low-salt diets for lowering blood pressure but there may be unintended consequences such as worsening insulin resistance.
Indeed, a lack of sodium has been shown to increase insulin levels, which may be a compensatory mechanism to help the kidneys retain sodium.
Additionally, low-salt diets elevate stress hormones, such as noradrenaline, aldosterone, renin and angiotensin-II, which contribute to vascular stiffening and vascular and systemic insulin resistance.