Salt intake.

[catherinecherub]

"This study provides excellent ammunition both for convincing patients about the benefits of reducing their individual salt intake and to persuade the EU of the urgent need to introduce legislation to restrict the salt content of processed foods"

"This study represents the evidence that a reduction of salt intake not only lowers blood pressure but also prevents cardiovascular events. The case for population-wide salt reduction is compelling".

"Salt can have an adverse effect on cardiovascular health even among people with normal blood pressure".

http://www.physorg.com/news183722643.html

Salt is in everything, some are tiny amounts and some are larger and it all adds up,

Here is an article about ready meals and salt content,

http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/Consu ... lt-content

How much in fruit?

http://www.dietbites.com/Sodium-in-Food ... fruit.html

How much in vegetables?

http://www.dietbites.com/Sodium-in-Food ... ables.html

How much in Dairy Products?

http://www.dietbites.com/Sodium-in-Food ... heese.html

 

[Patch]

Here we go again. :twisted:

Salt is not bad. Table Salt (or any processed/bleached/refined Sea Salt) IS bad...

 

[noblehead]

Are you suggesting that we have been down this road before Patch! :lol:

I think we have, but there is no harm in bringing these topics back to newer members of the forum, who may have missed them first time around.

Now then, think I'll have to rewrite that article about sat fat causing heart disease............. :twisted:

Nigel

 

[Synonym]

And p'raps I'll do one on how sat nav has a desperate effect on blood pressure! :lol:

 

[catherinecherub]

We may have discussed this before Patch.

I hope you noticed that this is a very new report and as many diabetics have high blood pressure, I thought it was relevant. New members arrive here every day and it is as well that they too read this article.

Bariatric surgery does the rounds time and time again and you don't object to that. High fat and low carb always get a good response from you too and that really is an old chestnut.

 

[cugila]

Here we go again. :twisted:

Salt is not bad. Table Salt (or any processed/bleached/refined Sea Salt) IS bad...

Patch.
Too much Salt is BAD for you, ANY Salt. Don't believe the hype from the sellers of the so called 'healthy' salt.

We need some Salt in our diet. It is the quantity that is the problem. If you are eating foods and drinks containing Salt/Sodium and the total daily intake exceeds the recommended levels (6g daily) then you are not doing your health any good. By advocating that we should all consume more salt, that is just plain folly. There are 'crackpot' diets around which advocate riduiculous amounts of salt. They are dangerous. It has been discussed well on this Forum both recently and many other times.

Here is a link to the Blood Pressure Association website with a discussion about Salt, I'm sure you remember seeing it before, very recently.
http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/microsites/sa ... ysaltisbad

There are many links to more information about Salt, I don't propose to post them all again.
A small extract:
Why salt is bad
The amount of salt you eat has a direct effect on your blood pressure.

Salt makes your body hold on to water. If you eat too much salt, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. So, the more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure.

The higher your blood pressure, the greater the strain on your heart, arteries, kidneys and brain. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease.

Also, eating too much salt may mean that blood pressure medicines (such as diuretics) don't work as well as they could

Not everything is about Diabetes, Salt can affect all the major organs, the Kidneys, Arteries, Heart and Brain........???? :wink:

 

[Patch]

Sorry everyone. I'll get me coat...

 

[Synonym]

Don’t worry Patch, at least the whole story gets told for all of us, newbies included.

And some of us also have a naughty sense of humour! :lol:

 

[phoenix]

A major reason to cut salt/sodium is blood pressure reduction.

Elsewhere on the forum its been reported that a recent low carb/orlistat trial showed a bigger reduction in blood pressure in the low carb arm than with the orlistat arm. In the same journal there is another study that puts that reduction in perspective.

In the Dash trial, the subjects were un medicated, overweight people with high blood pressure. One arm ate the Dash diet + weight management ie reduced calories + exercise, the other just followed the diet . For once in diet trials there was a control group (hurrah). In 4 months the people on the weight management version lost an average of 19lbs ( compared with 1 on the non weight control version)
Blood pressure reductions
in 4 months
Dash + weight management systolic - 16.1, diastolic 9.9mm
Dash alone ....................systolic -11.2, diastolic -7.5mm
control.........................systolic -3.4, diastolic -3.8mm
By comparison
In 48 weeks
Low carb.......................systolic -5.9, diastolic -4.5mm
Orlistat........................systolic -1.5 diastolic - 0.4mm

Obviously the time periods are different, as are the subjects, so it's not a completey valid comparison but the drop in blood pressure in the Dash diet trials seems to be a worth while reduction for many people with moderately high blood pressure.
The Dash diet though is definitely not a low carb diet and this poses a conflict for some people on this forum.

However anyone with high blood pressure might like to take into consideration that the Dash diet is designed to be a very low sodium diet (not just table salt but from all sources, (see Catherines links above) starting from a maximum 2.4mg a day and reducing when ''acclimatised' to 1.5mg a day.
I don't know how much of the reduction in BP in this diet is due to the sodium reduction and how much to do with its other components* but the salt reduction is perhaps something everyone on whatever diet can try.
*fairly specific proportions of fruit, veg, wholegrain,poultry fish, nuts; high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, limited fat and red meat http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high- ... /dash-diet

 

[Doczoc]

I'm lucky that salt doesn't seem to affect my BP. I have a monitor and my results have just got better and better over the last year. I am now in the normal range after years of high BP, the only difference is that I'm now low carbing. Make up your own minds.

 

[hanadr]

too much salt is bad, but salt is essential. Your nerves cannot transmit impulses without sodium. Your blood maintains its osmotic potential with salt. Your kidneys need salt to work( the sodium pump) Salt will cure cramp.
Living in the tropics and sweating a lot depletes your salt reserves and many people have to take salt tablets to remain healthy.
Getting rid of all the salt in your diet is not a good thing.
Hana

 

[Patch]

If salt is so bad for you, why is it that the FIRST thing they give you when you go into hospital for treatment is a Saline Drip? What's Saline? Salt water, nothing more, nothing less...

I'm no expert - but it just seems absoloutely crazy to me that the experts tell you to stay away from salt, then, when you need these experts help the most, what is the first thing they give you??? A Saline Solution...

Bonkers.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Bonkers.

Wasup?

 

[hanadr]

Patch,
the saline drip is at the same osmotic potential as blood plasma( it's isotonic) If it were a lower OP, it would burst the red cells as too much water entered them. If too concentrated, it would cause the red cells to loose their contents and shrivel up.
As I said in my previous post, salt is essential to life.
Hana
PS you can obsrerve the same phenomenon in pieces of potato.
Cut potato sprinkled with salt, loses water. Potato put into water, takes up loads and swells. Plant cells however don't burst, because they have a semi-rigid cell wall, which animal cells don't.

 

[cavelioness]

too much salt is bad, but salt is essential. Your nerves cannot transmit impulses without sodium. Your blood maintains its osmotic potential with salt. Your kidneys need salt to work( the sodium pump) Salt will cure cramp.
Living in the tropics and sweating a lot depletes your salt reserves and many people have to take salt tablets to remain healthy.
Getting rid of all the salt in your diet is not a good thing.
Hana

too much salt gives me cramp...hence only a tiny amount allowed in my diet for the last 20 odd years result no cramp especially that really nasty cramp of the toes that used to get me jumping out of a nice warm bed