Posted on 09/08/2013 11:44:17 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Consuming less salt is widely seen as an important step in reducing heart disease and hypertension.
But a new study from the University of Glasgow says low levels of chloride, salt's other constituent, in the blood is an indicator of mortality risk in people with hypertension.
After analyzing data from almost 13,000 patients with high blood pressure, followed up over 35 years, the researchers say they found that low levels of chloride was associated with a higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
The group with the lowest level of chloride in their blood had a 20% higher mortality rate compared to the other subjects, the team concluded.
"Sodium is cast as the villain for the central role it plays in increasing the risk of high blood pressure, with chloride little more than a silent extra in the background," Dr. Sandosh Padmanabhan of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences said in a statement.
"However, our study has put the spotlight on this under-studied chemical to reveal an association between low levels of chloride serum in the blood and a higher mortality rate, and surprisingly this is in the opposite direction to the risks associated with high sodium.
"It is likely that chloride plays an important part in the physiology of the body and we need to investigate this further."
Chloride is already measured as part of routine clinical screening and so monitoring of chloride levels could easily be incorporated into clinical practice to identify individuals at high risk, the researchers say.
nope....
... or eat some celery if you don’t like sea salt. Celery has lots of sodium with none of the artifacts present in processed table salt.
“Salt, We Misjudged You” New York Times
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2891182/posts
For those who are concerned about their salt consumption. Surprising article, considering the source.
Hint: Generally, if you want to live, avoid low salt diets.
How do you separate sodium intake from chloride intake?
In high school our chemistry teacher showed us a video of what happens when pure sodium metal is immersed in water (it reacts very violently) then asked, “Would you want to put sodium on your food?”
The essential blood salts (ionized electrolytes):
Sodium (Na). A positively charged electrolyte that helps to balance fluid levels in the body and facilitates neuromuscular functioning.
Potassium (K). A main component of cellular fluid, this positive electrolyte helps to regulate neuromuscular function and osmotic pressure.
Calcium (Ca). A cation, or positive electrolyte, that affects neuromuscular performance and contributes to skeletal growth and blood coagulation.
Magnesium (Mg). Influences muscle contractions and intracellular activity. A cation.
Chloride (CI). An anion, or negative electrolyte, that regulates blood pressure.
Phosphate (HPO4). Negative electrolyte that impacts metabolism and regulates acid-base balance and calcium levels.
Bicarbonate (HCO3). A negatively charged electrolyte that assists in the regulation of blood pH levels. Bicarbonate insufficiencies and elevations cause acid-base disorders (i.e., acidosis, alkalosis).
Lesser blood salts:
Copper
Zinc
Manganese
Chromium
There's more friggin' cooking shows and Bobby's pots and pans and Martha's dishes....
The only show I do enjoy is hell's kitchen...These kids are truly being challenged. There are no recipe cards on the counter...
I can still remember Julie Child explaining a capon....
So I should put celery on my French fries?
No. You put celery on your frozen driveway.
Thanks for the laugh...I needed that!!
Yes, celery will add crunchy texture and an interesting flavor mix to your french fries. I’ve tried it with sweet potatoes fries and it was tasty.
Grandpa: Well let me tell you something now, Johnny. Last Thursday, I turned 95 years old. And I never exercised a day in my life. Every morning, I wake up, and I smoke a cigarette. And then I eat five strips of bacon. And for lunch, I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack?
John: Bacon.
Grandpa: Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. Now according to all of them flat-belly experts, I should’ve took a dirt nap like thirty years ago. But each year comes and goes, and I’m still here. Ha! And they keep dyin’. You know? Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me. Just goes to show you, huh?
John: What?
Grandpa: Huh?
John: Goes to show you what?
Grandpa: Well it just goes... what the hell are you talkin’ about?
John: Well you said you drink beer, you eat bacon and you smoke cigarettes, and you outlive most of the experts.
Grandpa: Yeah?
John: I thought maybe there was a moral.
Grandpa: No, there ain’t no moral. I just like that story. That’s all. Like that story.
thanks rickmichaels.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Sucralose2.svg/200px-Sucralose2.svg.png
The best salt out there on the market is Celtic Sea Salt.
ping
Aren’t we supposed to use Iodized salt?
Because iodine deficiency was once a persistent problem in some parts of the U.S., manufacturers began adding iodine to table salt in 1924. Iodine deficiency remains a serious problem in Africa and parts of Asia but has been largely eliminated in the developed world, where people routinely get the iodine they need from other food sources.
That and flouride....we need our daily doses.
Sea salt is great and needed for many things in the body! It is the refined salt that is bad!
Iodine is tricky, because while only a tiny amount, 100-200 micrograms is needed daily, twice that amount for pregnant women, according to US standards, other chemicals tend to neutralize its effects.
That is, chlorine, fluoride and bromide lower iodine levels in the body by blocking iodine receptors, and they are increasingly common in our diets.
In comparison, the Japanese consume an average of more than 12 milligrams (12,000 mcg) of iodine per day. That’s 50 times more than the average American.
Beyond thyroid support, iodine’s anti-cancer functions may be its most important benefit. Scientific tests using estrogen sensitive breast cancer cells exposed to iodine have shown that they are less likely to grow and spread.
Fibrocystic breast disease creates swelling, tenderness and discomfort. In one study, 98 percent of women receiving iodine treatment were pain-free by the study’s end, and 72 percent had improvements in breast tissue.
The bottom line is that it is still a trace element, several of which are vital to good health, but are not major blood electrolytes. That is, if your electrolytes are imbalanced, you might quickly die; but if you have a severe shortage of a trace element, while you might develop serious medical conditions, it will take a while.
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