The study, which was presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Ireland on Monday, said the rising intake of salt, especially in processed foods, may have a negative effect on the health of upcoming generations, according to The Telegraph.
The findings also suggested that while high intake of salt may delay physiological maturity, eating too little may also have the same effect.
Headed by Dori Pitynski, researchers from the University of Wyoming conducted the study on rats, which were fed a high-salt diet. The serving was almost three times the recommended daily intake intended for humans, and was proven to have significant effects, such as delayed puberty, when compared with rats that were served a lower salt diet.
However, complete exclusion of salt in the rats' diet had the same delay on puberty, Gazette Review reported.
"Our work shows that high levels of fat and salt have opposite effects reproductive health," Pitynski said. "High fat diet is thought to accelerate the onset of puberty but our work demonstrates that rats fed a high salt diet even with a high fat diet will still show a delay in puberty onset."
She also added that their "research highlights for the first time that the salt content of a diet has a more significant effect on reproductive health than the fat content."
According to the World Health Organization, the daily recommended intake of salt in an adult is 5 grams.
WHO also noted that people all over the world consume more salt than what they physiologically need.
People undergoing delayed puberty could experience behavioral problems, reduced fertility and stress during their lifetime.
