Set Down That Salt Shaker
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about 90% of U.S. school children consume too much sodium each day. It may come as a surprise that only 10 common foods contribute 40% of the sodium eaten by children. Check out the great resources and infographics to help your family be sodium wise. Remember, healthy…
Read MoreSodium and Your Arteries
Arteries tend to stiffen after age 30 and can increase risk of heart attack, stroke and memory loss because they can’t dilate (widen) when increased blood volume is necessary. Australian researchers studied 25 overweight or obese subjects with normal blood pressure and found those on a diet with lower sodium levels (2600 mg/day) had arteries that…
Read MoreSalt Reduction Makes an Impact in the U.K.
Between 2003 and 2011 stroke deaths in the U.K. decreased 42% (P<0.001) and ischemic heart disease fell by 40% (P<0.001). During the same time salt intake decreased by 1.4 g/day (P<0.01) measured by 24-hour urinary sodium. The findings of this 8-year study appear to support a key role for lower salt intake. Despite this progress,…
Read MoreModest Salt Reduction Lowers BP
A systematic literature review found that modestly reducing salt intake was associated with an average blood pressure reduction of 4.18/2.06 mm Hg (systolic/diastolic). This reduction from the current average daily salt intake of 9-12 grams to 5-6 grams results in a significant (P<0.001) benefit to blood pressure, and in turn reduces risk of stroke, heart…
Read MoreA Picture is Worth 2000+ Calories!
It is hard to believe the meals that some people eat! To stroke your nutritional pride, take a look at the pictures and nutritional information put together on appallingly unhealthy meals at 22 Words. If you are still hungry--and your conscience allows--you can trip on down to your local chain outlet and get one--but please…
Read MoreCravings for Salt May Begin in the Cradle
Do you love to lick salt from the surface of foods? That desire may have started in infancy. Babies either dislike or are indifferent to salt when born. In a small, observational study, researchers have found that exposure to starchy table foods such as ready-to-eat cereals (a significant source of dietary sodium at this age)…
Read MoreDiabetics Benefit from Salt Restriction
Most cardiovascular disease risk for diabetes is linked with hypertension (high blood pressure). Researchers conducted a meta-analysis comparing high and low salt intakes. They found that restricting the amount of salt significantly reduced blood pressure, similar to the effect of single medication prescription.PositiveTip: Public health guidelines recommend reducing salt intake to no more than one level…
Read MoreThe War on Salt Heats Up
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the amount of sodium added to foods.A new IOM report has concluded that public health and education programs have failed to cut American's salt intake, and therefore the FDA should incrementally cut down the sodium content of the food…
Read MoreCure High Blood Pressure with Diet and Exercise
I like really big population studies. The conclusions reached are valid and extremely accurate. Small studies with few participants are subject to many types of bias. The results of small studies are often debatable and not dependable.The second Nurses’ Health Study enrolled 83,882 adult women 27-44 years of age. At the beginning of the study…
Read MoreHold the Salt to Lower Health Care Costs!
Dietary salt intake in the U.S. in on the rise, in spite of more and more evidence linking salt intake to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Reducing salt intake by a modest 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) per day per person is projected to annually reduce new cases of coronary heart disease by up to 120,000, stroke…
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