Eating a high-salt diet for years may damage blood vessels, increasing risk of high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease, U.S. researchers say.
Lead author Dr. John Forman, a nephrologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues tracked the sodium intake of 5,556 men and women from the general population of Groningen, Netherlands.
Sodium intake was assessed by collecting multiple 24-hour urine samples, which is considered the optimal method to measure sodium intake, Forman said.
Researchers analyzed the association between sodium consumption and blood levels of uric acid and albumin in the urine -- both markers of blood vessel damage -- in participants not taking high blood pressure medication.
During a median follow-up of 6.4 years, 878 new hypertension diagnoses were made.
The study, published in the journal Circulation, compared with participants eating the least amount of sodium, about 2,200 milligrams a day, those eating the most sodium about 6,200 mg/d were 21 percent more likely than others to develop high blood pressure.
In addition, those who had high uric acid levels and ate the most salt were 32 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure, while those with high urine albumin levels and highest salt intake were 86 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure, the study found.
Copyright United Press International 2012
Articles featured in Life Extension Daily News are derived from a variety of news sources and are provided as a service by Life Extension. These articles, while of potential interest to readers of Life Extension Daily News, do not necessarily represent the opinions nor constitute the advice of Life Extension.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- The article below might also be of interest, though neither he nor the authors above discuss difference in SEA SALT, processed table salt and salts added to packaged foods that include sodium from MSG and all the food additives that are MSG but hide under different names.
. . . One could still argue that all these people should reduce their salt intake to prevent hypertension, except for the fact that four of these studies � involving Type 1 diabetics, Type 2 diabetics, healthy Europeans and patients with chronic heart failure �
reported that the people eating salt at the lower limit of normal were more likely to have heart disease than those eating smack in the middle of the normal range. . . . -
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
Hmmmm, The article never mentions that most people use TABLE SALT which is processed with silicon dioxide and is devoid of minerals. They also don't mention that people consume tons of processed salt in their diets.
SEA SALT that is full of minerals is very close to our own natural plasma. Well, I am sure the article will make some people starting the salt/c protocol very nervous.
Might have been more productive posting the health benefits of sea salt.
Keebler,
Thanks for the informative article by Gary Taubes.
Gael
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
They didn't differentiate between salts, sea salt, etc. They just studied sodium. I'm not very technical in regards to health issues but different factors correlated with higher incidence of a problem - like uric acid & urine albumin levels.
I'm not trying to dissuade anyone but I did see this study. It's pretty large. Whatever helps is good but it's also good to be cautious. I have blindly listened to some health "gurus" in the past & they were wrong.
Any herb, drug, supplement, food might be hazardous in excess. We have to know the pros & cons to make a decision.
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
I agree, that pros and cons are good, however the study seemed to not differentiate as you stated.
They studied people most likely ingesting table salt in their diet and or processed salt in their food.
Gael
Posted by lymenow (Member # 36175) on :
Gael is right. The difference between the 2 is night and day. Table salt causes ENDLESS symptoms.
Like I said - no offense to anyone. We all have to decide what is best for ourselves - especially when we are making our own decisions about protocols.
I don't know if the ions or minerals in Himilayan or Real salt or sea salt will counteract the potential negatives from sodium as table salt. It may be good to rotate the protocol to prevent any adverse effects...?
I guess I think about it in regards to drinking sea water. It is advised against doing it in case of emergency. There are always counter arguements, though.
Like I said - I'm not against the protocol but it's good to know about any potential adverse effects. I would want to know this in regards to any protocol.
The article was posted in Life Extention - they aren't adverse to alternative medicine, so it's not coming from the big drug companies, etc.
Posted by annxyzz (Member # 20404) on :
I appreciate both points of view shared . I do not think you are "disagreeable " Sparkle .
The odd thing is that I have LOW blood pressure and POTS sometimes esp if herxing . But adding salt help me . Maybe some of us need to add more to diet . Who knows?
One thing that has occurred to me is that we seem to be having a lot more new diseases like OCD , anxiety disorders , kids with depression, CFS , Fibro etc.. now that people have tried to eliminate salt and fats and eggs from diet .
I have wondered if maybe a little more salt might help the immune system if a person has LOW BLOOD PRESSURE . Please know I am thinking out loud and brainstorming - not a science person.
I genuinely value input from all sides . I would consider the salt C as an experiment possibly with ivermectin , but at a LOW dose of salt , not anything in a risk range . I definitely believe people like Gael know when they feel better .
Also , the studies of people with high table salt diet may be people eating a lot of cr-p like fries or fast food or hot dogs and chips. They are probably eating more cheezits than collard greens or spinach .
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
Yes, there are alot of variables. I don't know if the "new" illnesses can be attributed to low salt or low fat... It might be high fructose or high hydrogenated fats. Or it could be the lifestyle here in the US or Western world...? There are many factors...
The study did focus on sodium, though. There are always people who don't fit the profile. Theraputic doses can help people who are "outside the box". We are all unique.
It's just that a large study does suggest a trend. A salt/C protocol may not be something one may want to do for an extended period of time...?
The study was done in the Netherlands. I don't know if they eat alot of junkfoods or if there are other considerations - like pot smoking (just a joke - LOL).
Posted by susank (Member # 22150) on :
I have been researching salt in regards to counteracting the diuretic effects of most herbs.
I want to use some of the herbs, but have learned that they cause me to urinate more and more often. I think I drink more water then, too?
The effect is that the "fluid loss" makes my dry eyes and mouth even worse.
So is the answer to increase salt and maybe potassium?
I have not salted my food in years. I think probably my salt intake is inadequate. But blood tests show my sodium and potassium levels within range.
Thoughts please on this interesting subject!
Really - how do folks that take the Lyme herbs and detox formulas - that are seemingly all diuretics deal? Isn't there an electrolyte loss risk?
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
PLEASE check out the post "How To Use Salt/c" Go to Keeblers post and click on MD Junction. Scroll down to a poster aka Canuck. This is some of the best info on salt/c and the effects I have seen. VERY informative.
I personaly discovered I was salt deficient and ran a vey low b/p for years. IMO, many people that are chronically ill are salt deficient.
When we sweat we lose salt, and it needs to be replaced, as salt is vital for our adrenals and electrolyte balance.
Gael
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
I was told to eat more salt due to low blood pressure a while ago. I was a vegetarian then. I don't think my blood pressure is still low since I've been eating meat.
I don't know if eating more salt is a cure for low blood pressure... I'm not sure what can cause it. I don't know if it's an anti-diuretic, either.
Which herbs do you take, susank? I don't think all herbs are diuretic. There may be some you can replace with other herbs. That's the good thing about herbs is there are thousands of them - you can usually find an alternative.
It seems there are balances with the minerals & electrolites. It's probably not good to take too much or too little. It probably depends on the individual... the climate, genetics, etc.
To say, overall, that everyone is dehydrated is probably incorrect. There are pros & cons of drinking water. I know if I'm in a hot climate - I really need to replace water due to sweating & evaporation. It's not necessarily the case where it's cool.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
If Dr. Ray Peat is correct then there may be more to the salt/Vitamin C protocol than just the possible killing of parasites and/or other pathogens. He has some rather interesting views on why consuming more salt maybe good for your health. He claims that salt affects your metabolism, it can affect the production of various hormones such as the thyroid, cortisol and aldosterone hormones, it can lower inflammation and it can effect your body temperature.
" One way of looking at those facts is to see that a lack of sodium slows metabolism, lowers carbon dioxide production, and creates inflammation, stress and degeneration. Rephrasing it, sodium stimulates energy metabolism, increases carbon dioxide production, and protects against inflammation and other maladaptive stress reactions." Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
Google Dr. David Brownstein + dehydration. He seems to think that dehydration is an epidemic in America, especially in chronically ill people. I tend to agree.
Gael
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Susank,
In my experience, salt can in a roundabout way act as antidiuretic. The body tries to maintain salt/sodium, sugar/glucose and other electolytes within a certain range within our blood. And if you drink alot of water/fluids you could potentially be diluting the amount of salt, glucose, and electolytes within your blood and thus your body senses this dilution and senses this lowering of sodium, glucose and othr electrolytes and then usually when this happens you will start to urinate alot and you will have to pee frequently because your body is trying to prevent the water from diluting the sodium, glucose and other electolytes within your blood. And in my case when this happens I will also start craving something sweet and/ or salty to eat. Apparently, eating more salt and sugar helps to counter the dilution effects of consuming alot of water.
For me, the more water that I drink the more sugar and salt that I also have to ingest to prevent the frequent urination and the generally lousy feeling that I get when I drink alot of water. Though, I have found it best to just drink alot less water and therefore I don't have to eat so much sugar and salt..... though I still eat more of both than I used to.
Also, on the flip side, regardless of how much salt or sugar that you consume daily the body will try to maintain blood levels of sodium and glucose at a certain level. So, it doesn't matter if you eat one teaspoon worth of salt or sugar per day or whether you eat 5 teaspoons worth of salt and sugar per day, your body is going to do what ever it can to keep blood levels of sodium, glucose and other electrolytes within a certin range. And the amount of water that you ingest per day seems to play a role in how much sugar and salt that your body can handle or that you can ingest safely.
By the way, you can use a refractometer and a conductivity meter to help in determing if you are drinking too much or not enough water and whether or not you are eating too much or not enough salt and sugar. You can do this by easily measuring your urine with the refractometer and the conductivity meter. The refractometer will measure the amount sugar in your urine and the specific gravity of your urine..... the specific gravity of your urine correlates with your hydration status. So, if your refractometer reading is low then you are probably drinking too much water or you are not eating enough sugar/carbs. And the conductivity meter will measure the salt content of your urine. So, if your conductivity meter reading is low then you should probably eat a little more salt.
Well, that's my two cents worth.
.
[ 06-28-2012, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: emla999/Lyme ]
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
There are various opinions about this subject. I believe that Dr. K says it's not good to overdo water consumption. I agree that the body seeks balance.
I read about an army health administrator who said that most people are dehydrated but some doctors don't agree whith over hydration. I think it may depend on how much you drink & what kind of climate you live in. I believe that too much water can be a problem, too.
The refractometer may be an interesting way to see how much you need.
I'm repeating here - I don't mean to start a big controvercy. I just think it's important to study all sides to see if there are hazards - whether it's drinking too much water or not enough, eating too much salt, sugar, or whatever it may be.
Some people smoke & drink & live to be 100... I just like to know what studies find so I can decide for myself.