Learn all the facts regarding salt For the past three years the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been promoting a trend to reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day, the amount in about one teaspoon of table salt. Many studies over the past years have suggested a link between salt consumption and diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. However, for almost the last two decades, a Scranton businessman and his wife have been trying to solicit a very different message—sea salt and water cures many diseases, and we should actually be consuming more, not less, sodium. As one might expect, this man was far from upset when a new study prompted by the CDC and Institute of Medicine was released that mentioned the idea that too little salt in the diet could actually cause harm to the body. However, the recent Times Leader article published July 17 on page three, “Salt study satisfies area man’s hunger for vindication”, not only misconstrues information published in the study, but also outright plagiarizes it (the entire sixth paragraph of the article). If one returns to the original study it states that, “studies on health outcomes are inconsistent in quality and insufficient in quantity to conclude that lowering sodium intake levels below 2,300 mg/day either increases or decreases the risk of heart disease, stroke, or all-cause mortality in the general U.S. population”, and, “evidence indicates that low sodium intake may lead to risk of adverse health effects among those with mid-to late-stage heart failure who are receiving aggressive treatment for their disease”. Therefore, this study still supports the idea that as a nation we should limit our salt to the daily recommended amount of 2,300 mg, but that there is simply not enough evidence to support restricting any lower than this amount. Keep in mind that, according to the CDC, the average US citizen consumes nearly 3,500 mg of sodium per day. Also, the study refers to the fact that only a very specific population, people with mid or late-stage heart failure, would face potential harm from limiting sodium intake below standard levels. The CDC and IOM further comment, “changes in diet are more complex than simply changing a single mineral”, and it is important to remember that our body relies on the interaction of many minerals, especially potassium, for optimum health. Therefore, the registered dietitian nutritionists of the NEDA would like to remind everyone to focus on a healthy, balanced diet, containing potassium-rich fruits and vegetables. As a general population we can learn a lesson from what has been printed here in the Times Leader. It is not always wise to believe a “fact” just because it is written in a paper or announced in some other form of media. If we want to stay current on the latest health information, we must be responsible and go to the source and form an opinion of our own. To read the full study, please visit www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=18311. Shaina Fimbel Marywood University Dietetic Intern
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:05:44 +0000
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