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Salt, we misjudged you
New York Times ^ | June 3, 2012 | by Gary Taubes

Posted on 06/03/2012 7:37:05 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

THE first time I questioned the conventional wisdom on the nature of a healthy diet, I was in my salad days, almost 40 years ago, and the subject was salt. Researchers were claiming that salt supplementation was unnecessary after strenuous exercise, and this advice was being passed on by health reporters.

When I spent the better part of a year researching the state of the salt science back in 1998 — already a quarter century into the eat-less-salt recommendations — journal editors and public health administrators were still remarkably candid in their assessment of how flimsy the evidence was implicating salt as the cause of hypertension.

“You can say without any shadow of a doubt,” as I was told then by Drummond Rennie, an editor for The Journal of the American Medical Association, that the authorities pushing the eat-less-salt message had “made a commitment to salt education that goes way beyond the scientific facts.”

While, back then, the evidence merely failed to demonstrate that salt was harmful, the evidence from studies published over the past two years actually suggests that restricting how much salt we eat can increase our likelihood of dying prematurely. Put simply, the possibility has been raised that if we were to eat as little salt as the U.S.D.A. and the C.D.C. recommend, we’d be harming rather than helping ourselves.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: diet; foodnazis; garytaubes; health; healthnazis; hypertension; nannystate; nutrition; salt; science; sodium; taubes
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To: House Atreides
I shall not change my diet because of anyone or anything except mother nature.

When I die, I'll die. But I'll die not bitter about the years I gave up to someone's idea of what I should eat.

I'll eat what I damn well please. My body will 'splain me what I shouldn't do anymore. Point in case is the jalpenos out of the garden that are fresh and sweet and have zero heat...... going in.

I tip-toe around the jalapenos this year... because they are good, but they hurt on the far end.

/johnny

21 posted on 06/03/2012 8:05:42 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: tumblindice
The potassium in the `nanners

You forgot to mention the radioactive part of potassium.... It will break down eventually.

Of course, I don't worry about that either, because, even though it is radioactive, it's not bad.

/johnny

22 posted on 06/03/2012 8:09:43 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: freedombird

23 posted on 06/03/2012 8:11:12 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Nik Naym
Certainly dealing with the theory of going without beer. America was founded at Plymouth Rock because the boats ran out of beer.

Our ancestors knew....

/johnny

24 posted on 06/03/2012 8:11:35 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The salt content of our foods is not the problem. The saline content of your blood is regulated by the adrenal gland, not by how much bacon, pickles, or other salty foods you eat. Any excess salt is simply eliminated from your system in your urine. In other words excess salt does not cause hypertension, it is caused by hypertension.
As for the fats you eat, you need fats. Besides being a source of energy, they provide the fundamental building blocks for all of your hormones and regulatory chemicals.
You need salt, you need fat and several other essential nutrients and minerals.


25 posted on 06/03/2012 8:11:51 PM PDT by BuffaloJack (End the racist, anti-capitalist Obama War On Freedom.)
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To: JRandomFreeper
I remember eating salt tablets available on the wall of the un-airconditioned factory I worked in in the late 60's in Baltimore's humid summer; I ran the (molten) Salt Bath.

Still kickin'

26 posted on 06/03/2012 8:13:24 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: netmilsmom

Reduced salt could be the reason why people are getting fat. Ya never know.
___________________________________________________________

The reason people get fat is that they eat too much. One pound equals about 3600 calories. If you don’t work it off you get to keep it with you. If you multiply your weight by 10 that is approximately how many calories you work off each day if you are an average person.

If you weigh 200 lbs then your normal body burns up 2000 calories. If you eat 2100 calories a day you will gain a pound every 36 days. If you eat 1900 calories a day you will lose a pound every 36 days. These are not exact numbers and some days you burn more calories than others but these numbers are pretty reliable.

People say their hormones make them fat, it runs in the family or they are big boned and can’t help it, but none of that is true. Hormones can make you hungry, medicines can make you hungry even heredity can make you hungry but how much you put in your mouth is what determines how much you weigh.


27 posted on 06/03/2012 8:14:46 PM PDT by JAKraig (Surely my religion is at least as good as yours)
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To: JRandomFreeper

In theory..... and theory is to practice as practice is to theory.... one CAN survive without beer.


Liar.


28 posted on 06/03/2012 8:15:02 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: BuffaloJack
saline content of your blood is regulated by the adrenal gland,

How many adrenal glands do we have? And how many do I have, after losing a kidney?

And do you believe that the organism can adapt to injury and guide the organism (me)?

/johnny

29 posted on 06/03/2012 8:15:42 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: DefeatCorruption

Used to bring my own salt shaker to one friend’s dinner events. Things are better now. Maybe because they’ve been convinced Sea Salt is healthier than Plain Old Salt.


Hold up your shaker and say...

“See? Salt!”


30 posted on 06/03/2012 8:16:25 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: tumblindice

Sounds good—I’ll have to try salt on bananas.

Of course if a budding Salt Rebellion breaks out, Moochelle will have a kanipchen fit.


31 posted on 06/03/2012 8:16:37 PM PDT by House Atreides
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
I'm from a family of salt lovers with perfect blood pressure. Nobody’s done a study on us.
32 posted on 06/03/2012 8:18:36 PM PDT by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.I'm from a long live of slat lovers with perfeo)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
In 1815, there was a documented case of a baptist lost at sea that survived without beer.

Granted... It's not for normal people, but in theory, it is possible. In theory. ;)

/johnny

33 posted on 06/03/2012 8:20:06 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Right. There are also “documented” reports of mermaids, sea serpents and rational liberals.

Sheesh!


34 posted on 06/03/2012 8:24:01 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: JRandomFreeper
one CAN survive without beer.

I've heard that but I don't know if I believe it.

35 posted on 06/03/2012 8:24:01 PM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: netmilsmom

That would not surprise me in the slightest.


36 posted on 06/03/2012 8:26:18 PM PDT by Ronin (Dumb, dependent and Democrat is no way to go through life - Rep. L. Gohmert, Tex)
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To: JRandomFreeper

That is why the monks in the 17th century took their bock beers of the day and “kicked it up a notch,” by adding more grain to help them survive their extended fasts.

But I get your point.


37 posted on 06/03/2012 8:28:54 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: CaptainK

I think that the fact we drink so much purified water deprives us of minerals, including salt.

If we use idodized salt with natural minerals left in, might not eat so much trying to get in food what we used to get in regular tap or well water.


38 posted on 06/03/2012 8:29:44 PM PDT by amihow
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To: presidio9
What’s the “moderate” limit on methamphetamine?

The amount required to clear my sinuses. Thankyouverymuch.

Those 'bad drugs' like methampetamies and heroin were invented to solve real problems.

When they are used wrongly, they can cause problems.

But keeping me from using either, if I need them (don't expect me to use the morphine dervitive, they make me itch), is evil.

/johnny

39 posted on 06/03/2012 8:29:48 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Just another Joe
I'm not sure I believe it either.... I certainly wouldn't jump off that cliff personally...

/johnny

40 posted on 06/03/2012 8:31:56 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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