Salt in the diet

What you think you know is probably wrong.

See also this interesting paper by the late David A. Freedman and Diana P. Petitti (.pdf file).

The “salt hypothesis” is that higher levels of salt in the diet lead to higher levels of blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Intersalt, a crosssectional study of salt levels and blood pressures in 52 populations, is often cited to support the salt hypothesis, but the data are somewhat contradictory. Four of the populations (Kenya, Papua, and two Indian tribes in Brazil) do have low levels of salt and blood pressure. Across the other 48 populations, however, blood pressures go down as salt levels go up—contradicting the hypothesis. Experimental evidence suggests that the effect of a large reduction in salt intake on blood pressure is modest, and health consequences remain to be determined. Funding agencies and medical journals have taken a stronger position favoring the salt hypothesis than is warranted, raising questions about the interaction between the policy process and science.

Reminds me a little of man-made global warming.

Comments

[pj]

Yes, it defies logic that something so biologically essential, and so easily excreted, would be unhealthful, except in unusual disease situations.

[David]

Salt doesn't increase my blood pressure. But "theories" of man-made global warming? They do give me a rise!

[Norman]

This reminds me of the "lipids hypothesis," which says your risk of cardiovascular disease is closely tied to fat intake, especially saturated fat. If you look into it, though, this is only true of trans-fats. You might dig around a bit, but saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, and all the other stuff we are always desperately warned to stay away from don't have any noticeable association with heart disease, and they can actually be associated with weight loss.

[Norman]

This reminds me of the "lipids hypothesis," which says your risk of cardiovascular disease is closely tied to fat intake, especially saturated fat. If you look into it, though, this is only true of trans-fats. You might dig around a bit, but saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, and all the other stuff we are always desperately warned to stay away from don't have any noticeable association with heart disease, and they can actually be associated with weight loss.

[JorgXMcKie]

Let's see. I eat about 3 times as much salt as 'suggested' every day. I'm about 40 pounds overweight. My cholesterol is fine. My blood pressure is fine. What am I doing wrong?

[I'm betting it's the good effects of all the bacon and the beer.]

[jorod]

Should I start stockpiling salt?

Can I make a lot on the black market??

[Philip]

There’s an interesting post over at the Health Journal Club that makes the case that people should just not eat anything that wasn’t a food 100 years ago. Gets rid of the aspartame, bleached GM flour, high fructose corn syrup garbage they try to pass off as food these days. If interested you can read on it here,

http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/01/100-year-diet.html

[kyle8]

Soon it will be like the Woody Allen movie Sleeper. We will laugh at all the things we used to think were good for us.