Posted on 04/22/2011 7:17:35 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
Australian researchers are challenging guidelines that urge diabetics to cut back on salt in their diet.
In a study that seems to turn conventional wisdom on its head, they found patients with the highest levels of sodium in their urine had the smallest risk of dying over a 10-year period.
"Such data call into question universal recommendations that all adults should endeavor to reduce their salt intake," Dr. Elif I. Ekinci of the University of Melbourne in Victoria and colleagues write in the journal Diabetes Care.
But don't reach for the pretzels just yet.
Although it isn't the first time findings like these have surfaced, the Australian researchers, like others before them, relied on observations only and didn't actually run an experiment to test the direct impact of eating more or less salt.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Ping
Thanks.
I’ve always thought that the anti-salt thing has been way overdone.
No, you don’t want to eat too much salt. But these days, I’ll bet that the greater problem is all those people who eat too little salt.
I'm in awesome shape. Slim, trim, and I have good blood pressure.
Salt enables muslce function and hydration, which keeps the blood from thickening and causing high blood pressure and damage to delicate organ function. The solution (in most cases) is not to lower salt, because salt is so crucial, but to drink a lot more water. Studies have shown that age decreases the sensation of thirst when you’re actually thirsty, so you have to fight back against it. I recommend the book “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. (who should receive the Nobel for his research).
When I got hurt so badly a year and half ago (lost a spleen, kidney, broke 3 ribs and fractured a vert, 2 weeks intensive care, didn't walk for months) one of the problems they had with me was my low sodium level.
I cook for myself. I don't go out to eat, except as a comp at a some friends restaurants, I don't eat out of boxes or cans (unless I canned it).
So my sodium level when I got hurt was low to normal. After 17 units of blood, 2 days of surgery, 1 week of gastro/nasal feeding, and then dealing with hospital food (spit!), my sodium level was really low.
As a culinary professional, I've brought that back up to low-normal as I healed. But when I work outside, I still take salt tablets, salt my food, and drink plenty of water.
Everybody is different. Blanket statements about avoiding foods in a diet are generally wrong.
/johnny
Only vegans need be concerned about too little sodium, since all animal products contain sodium. Everyone else should reduce their sodium intake as much as possible. Each person reacts differently to excess sodium, but generally high sodium levels increase blood volume and constrict capillary size. Hypertension (high blood pressure) develops over decades and usually only rears its head late in life. The 30-year old marathoner drinking several coffees a day and consuming several grams of sodium per day is subtracting years from her or his life expectancy.
p.s. Table salt is sodium chloride. Foods contain sodium in many forms. Sodium is the culprit. For example, milk and bread are high in sodium.
I don’t think the proof is there. In fact, the opposite may be true for most people.
Cardiovascular risk: Low salt diets may be worse
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515171020.htm
There are a small number of people who are truly salt sensitive and should consume less salt. For the vast majority, it does not help and may be harmful.
While cultural factors have a huge influence on the types and proportions of foods that people eat, the one food item that is consumed in roughly the same proportion around the world is salt. Since the body regulates very tightly how much salt one consumes, a logical hypothesis is that people naturally want to eat the optimal amount of salt. Therefore, unless a specific medical condition exists, there is no reason to try to control the amount of salt consumed.
Dr. Batmanghelidj’s book is a great read and it certainly was very helpful for me.
I’m currently on a diet. Figuring out my salt/water intake has done more good than anything else. I’ve found that I do est on 2000mg sodium, 4500mg potassium and all the water I want to drink.
I’ve also found that when I’m going out of my mind with “hunger”, it’s never true hunger, but thirst. A glass of water calms me down more than anything. I knew that the signals could get crossed, but not that it was such a huge problem for me. This explains the years of “cravings” that drove me nuts. Drink and eat salt and potassium and the cravings go away.
BUT, if I don’t get enough salt, I stay thirsty. The salt helps me hold onto the water and I need less. Too much salt and I retain too much water, true, but it’s harder to OD on salt that one would think. If you don’t need it, food tastes “salty” and is rejected.
I’m figuring out that my body is smarter than my brain in many instances! I just had to learn it’s language.
You are so right!
You are, innocently, spreading misinformation. This could lead some to give in to the temptation to consume sodium, which has a natural appeal to the palate.
Of course, I disagree with your statement. Regardless of what the health naggers are saying, I do not believe the evidence is there to say that consuming sodium, according to taste, is harmful to most people. Yes, there are a small group of people who are sodium sensitive, but for the average person, the body does an excellent job of regulating sodium in the system.
There are studies that “prove” every premise that anyone can devise. I do not think there are just as many studies that demonstrate that low sodium diets are harmful as there are studies that demonstrate typical sodium consumption is harmful.
It is not my intent to spread misinformation. I do believe in challenging conventional wisdom when I think it is warranted. People can research the evidence and make up their own minds.
FReepmail me if you want on or off the diabetes ping list.
bump
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