Study: "Disappointly weak" link between salt and high blood pressure

Yahoo ^ | 6 Dec 2012 | Lisa Collier Cool

[shove_it]

For decades table salt has been on a healthy heart’s most wanted list. Believing it’s responsible for skyrocketing blood pressure, Americans have banned salt from tables and stripped it from recipes.

But new research says salt just might deserve a bit of a reprieve.

The link between salt and blood pressure is thought to date back to the 1940s when Duke University researcher Walter Kempner, M.D., became famous for using salt restriction as a means to treat people with high blood pressure. During the next few decades, studies confirmed Kempner’s theory that reducing salt could help reduce hypertension.

A Controversy is Born

Despite history, a brand new review of several studies from the past few decades related to blood pressure and salt intake suggests Kempner wasn’t right—that salt might not have as much of an effect on blood pressure and heart health as suspected.

The team leading the review published in the December 2012 Health Affairs pored over dozens of studies, some dating back to 1967, and said they were unable to find a link between salt intake and a risk for high blood pressure...

[Battle Axe]

Restricting salt leads to deficiencies in iodine and iodide. The soils here in the Midwest are low in iodine. So they (for once got it right) and put iodine in salt. But if you restrict the salt, you don't get enough iodine/iodide. Your thyroid can't work unless you've got enough iodine. The T/3 and T/4 are what work in the thyroid and the 3 and the 4 are iodines.

Poor thyroid function equals fatigue.

Also check your Vit. D levels.

I hope your check is in the mail.

BA

[Jeff Chandler]

Just the same, eliminating all the salt over which I had control did absolutely nothing in terms of lowering my blood pressure.

People telling me what not to eat raises my blood pressure.

[count-your-change]

I can check my own blood pressure and eating something very salty will definitely send it up. I can eat fresh raw vegetables and slow down the swelling and blood pressure rise but not eliminate it. Besides who wants to eat lettuce and potato chips. So for salt I use potassium chloride instead of sodium. It's “saltier” and seems to not raise my BP as much.

[gitmo]

I’ve found my blood pressure is most related to the number of democRats in Washington or Raleigh.

[gitmo]

My brother’s first wife ate salt by the box full. He bought a box of salt a week for her.

She was a tiny woman and had good blood pressure.

[shove_it]

Both.

[shove_it]

Good point and why is this news disappointing?

[upsdriver]

Did your doctor also prescribe a diuretic? (water pill)

[EternalVigilance]

Without salt human beings will sicken and die.

But regular iodized table salt is crap.

Use pure sea salt.

[ModelBreaker]

Why is it disappointing? I think it’s great. Salt makes a bunch of foods better. It doesn’t have bad side effects. Left-wing debbie-downers must be behind the disappointment.

[freekitty]

My hubby is over weight. His blood pressure is perfect. I am skinny as hell and my blood pressure is high. I don’t eat salt, snacks, candy, soda; coffee, tea alcohol; etc. He eats everything. Go figure.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Celtic Sea Salt rocks. Much better than the poisonous stuff sold in stores.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

If you are concerned about your heart, visit these links.

www.SaveYourHeart.com

http://www.paulingtherapy.com/

Both based on Linus Paulings discovery of what heart disease really is, why you get plaque build up, and how to rid yourself of it.

[A_perfect_lady]

I KNEW IT!! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG!! Man, I have ALWAYS questioned this bizarre vendetta against salt.

[dagogo redux]

Decades ago docs I trained with believed salt did not cause hypertension, but if one already had it, especially Blacks, it would worsen it. I haven’t kept up with the research but most things shift of shift back again every few 5-10 years.

[q_an_a]

The single biggest “gateKeeeper” of salt as a heart problem is the American Heart Assoc.

[RatRipper]

Werner Klemperer . . . I think

[Graybeard58]

When God wants me, He will take me

I know for a fact that you'll never die young. (From another discussion)

[Graybeard58]

But regular iodized table salt is crap.

Use pure sea salt.

Salt is salt, the only difference in any of it is cleanliness and texture. The salt in table salt is the same as salt used to deice roads and driveways, only cleaner and finer.

[Gator113]

Yes gramps, I agree. ;>)