Elevation of Fasting Ghrelin in Healthy Human Subjects Consuming a High-Salt Diet: A Novel Mechanism of Obesity?

Overweight/obesity is a chronic disease that carries an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and premature death. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated a clear relationship between salt intake and obesity, but the pathophysiologic mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesized that ghrelin, which regulates appetite, food intake, and fat deposition, becomes elevated when one consumes a high-salt diet, contributing to the progression of obesity. We, therefore, investigated fasting ghrelin concentrations during a high-salt diet. Thirty-eight non-obese and normotensive subjects (aged 25 to 50 years) were selected from a rural community in Northern China. They were sequentially maintained on a normal diet for three days at baseline, a low-salt diet for seven days (3 g/day, NaCl), then a high-salt diet for seven days (18 g/day). The concentration of plasma ghrelin was measured using an immunoenzyme method (ELISA). High-salt intake significantly increased fasting ghrelin levels, which were higher during the high-salt diet (320.7 ± 30.6 pg/mL) than during the low-salt diet (172.9 ± 8.9 pg/mL). The comparison of ghrelin levels between the different salt diets was statistically-significantly different (p < 0.01). A positive correlation between 24-h urinary sodium excretion and fasting ghrelin levels was demonstrated. Our data indicate that a high-salt diet elevates fasting ghrelin in healthy human subjects, which may be a novel underlying mechanism of obesity. View Full-Text

Keywords: ghrelin; high salt; obesity; diet intervention

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Zhang, Y.; Li, F.; Liu, F.-Q.; Chu, C.; Wang, Y.; Wang, D.; Guo, T.-S.; Wang, J.-K.; Guan, G.-C.; Ren, K.-Y.; Mu, J.-J. Elevation of Fasting Ghrelin in Healthy Human Subjects Consuming a High-Salt Diet: A Novel Mechanism of Obesity? Nutrients 2016, 8, 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060323

AMA Style

Zhang Y, Li F, Liu F-Q, Chu C, Wang Y, Wang D, Guo T-S, Wang J-K, Guan G-C, Ren K-Y, Mu J-J. Elevation of Fasting Ghrelin in Healthy Human Subjects Consuming a High-Salt Diet: A Novel Mechanism of Obesity? Nutrients. 2016; 8(6):323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060323

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Yong, Fenxia Li, Fu-Qiang Liu, Chao Chu, Yang Wang, Dan Wang, Tong-Shuai Guo, Jun-Kui Wang, Gong-Chang Guan, Ke-Yu Ren, and Jian-Jun Mu. 2016. "Elevation of Fasting Ghrelin in Healthy Human Subjects Consuming a High-Salt Diet: A Novel Mechanism of Obesity?" Nutrients 8, no. 6: 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060323

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Elevation of Fasting Ghrelin in Healthy Human Subjects Consuming a High-Salt Diet: A Novel Mechanism of Obesity?

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