Need the loo at night? You could be eating too much salt
- Frequently needing the toilet at night is a problem known as nocturia
- It affects half of over-50s and can lead to stress, irritablity and fatigue
- But scientists have found that a reduced salt intake makes people urinate less
- The study showed a simple change can ‘significantly improve’ quality of life
Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
110
View
comments
If you often wake at night with an urge to go to the loo, you may need to cut back on salt in your diet.
Frequently needing the toilet in the middle of the night – a problem called nocturia – affects more than half of over-50s.
Although it may seem a trivial problem, doctors warn that the resulting lack of sleep can lead to stress, irritability and fatigue.
Although it seems like a trivial problem, doctors have found that the lack of sleep caused by nocturia can lead to stress, irritability and fatigue
But a simple dietary change can markedly reduce the problem, researchers have found.
A Japanese team of scientists, whose work was presented yesterday [SUN] at the European Society of Urology conference in London, tracked 321 volunteers for three months.
-
What nutritionists eat when they’re craving something sweet:…
The salty truth about your kitchen staples – after it’s…
They found that reduced salt intake led people to urinate less.
When 223 volunteers were asked to cut their salt by 25 per cent, from 10.7g to 8g a day, their average night time toilet visits fell from an average of 2.3 trips to 1.4 times.
In contrast, when 98 subjects increased their intake from 9.9 to 11g they found that their need to urinate increased from 2.3 times a night to 2.7 times a night.
Researchers found that reduced salt intake makes people likely to urinate less
The NHS recommends that adults only eat 6g of salt each day.
The researchers also found that daytime urination was reduced when salt in the diet was reduced.
But the fall in nocturnal bathroom visits resulted in a particular improvement in people’s quality of life, they found.
Study author Dr Matsuo Tomohiro, of Nagasaki University, said: ‘This is the first study to measure how salt intake affects the frequency of going to the bathroom.
‘Night time urination is a real problem for many people, especially as they get older.
‘This work holds out the possibility that a simply dietary modification might significantly improve the quality of life for many people.’
The sodium in salt plays a key role in maintaining the correct balance of fluids in tissues and the blood.
The sodium in salt plays a key part in maintaining the correct balance of fluids – but the NHS recommends no more than six grams of salt a day
But if too much salt is consumed, it leads to an increase in the amount of urine the kidneys produce, resulting in a condition known as polyuria – or excessive urination.
In severe cases this can cause oedema, or swelling, where the fluid is retained under the skin, often in the feet or ankles.
High salt intake makes people drink more, because they tend to be thirstier, further compounding the problem.
Professor Marcus Drake, a urologist at Bristol University, said: ‘This is an important aspect of how patients potentially can help themselves to reduce the impact of frequent urination.
‘Research generally focusses on reducing the amount of water a patient drinks, and the salt intake is generally not considered.
‘Here we have a useful study showing how we need to consider all influences to get the best chance of improving the symptom.’
A second study presented at the same conference found that treating the condition sleep apnoea, which is often associated with loud snoring, can also prevent the need to urinate during the night.
A Dutch team found 65 per cent of patients reported a reduction in night-time visits to the bathroom if they were treated with a breathing mask.
Professor Drake said: ‘It may seem surprising that breathing problems can cause excessive urine production while asleep, but actually the problem is very real.
‘To have a study showing the link, and the potential benefits of therapy, may help establish the treatment into routine clinical practice.’
Share or comment on this article
- Furious father films a police officer confiscating 27…
- Harry’s in a hurry to move Meghan into his new home:…
- Millionaire neighbours from hell: How a greedy couple…
- Who is protecting Maddie’s kidnapper? Detective who spent…
- Westminster killer’s daughter’s defiant prom dress:…
- Seven-year-old boy whose dying wish was to be buried with…
- You’ve been BUS-ted! Police catch 130 motorists in just…
- Pakistani cricketer who beat his wife with his bat,…
- The march of the Nazi war machine: Unseen photographs -…
- Life in a Magdalene laundry: Haunting images show…
- Tennessee bank executive, his wife and their two…
- Veteran news anchor Ted Koppel tells Sean Hannity to his…
- Loyal Manchester United steward, 82, who served at the…
- Shocking video shows daycare worker picking a girl, 4, up…
- Father who raped his daughter from age 10 and put her on…
- The painful price of the new pound: As the new coin…
- At least 17 people are injured after being thrown to the…
- BREAKING NEWS: Westminster killer’s MOTHER condemns her…
Comments 110
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Your comment will be credited to your MailOnline persona.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
The post will be credited to your MailOnline username. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.