We’ve all heard that salt is supposed to be bad for us. But is there any proof of that? A new review of all the best science shows that there is not. There is no evidence that reducing the amount of salt you eat will reduce your risk of either heart disease or premature death.
This does not mean that unlimited amounts of salt is necessarily safe. Eating a moderate amount is probably best. At least try to avoid the salt in fast food, processed, packaged food and soda. Even if the salt doesn’t matter much it means you’ll avoid other unhealthy things.
"Although lowering dietary salt resulted in a small dip in blood pressure, the researchers found no strong evidence that it reduced rates of death in people with high or normal blood pressure. One study suggested that restricting salt in patients with congestive heart failure could even potentially increase risk of death."
Yet they go on to say that the researcher is not saying don't cut out salt! Oh goodness no! And by the way, here are some suggestions on how to cut salt (just in case those that had suffered congestive heart failure wanted to increase their risk of death, I guess?).
The evidence is there, why don't they see it? My BP dropped from 149/87 to 118/78 in a matter of two weeks after I gave up carbohydrates. I ate as much salt as I want, and I continue to do so.
That said, I've never seemed to have a reaction to salt. My blood pressure was borderline high at times, but I attribute that to being 60-70 pounds overweight!
I think people doing scientific research on diet are trying to help, but they seem to reach a lot of hasty conclusions, which they then feel compelled to defend for years on end.
I rarely ever eat anything processed anymore, so overall my salt intake is likely lower, even though I tend to use salty rubs on my foods.
The key is that it isn't the salt that is raising my blood pressure, its the carbs.
But then again, noone ever studies "risky" foods in absence of carbs..so they just don't have a clue on the other side of the study.
If I keep salt to a minimum I have almost no ringing in my ears. If I eat sausage or other very salty foods it's like a constant buzzing in my ears and I have to have noise in the background to cover it up or I go nuts. And too much salt makes me so dizzy I can't stand up. Imagine waking up in the morning with the room spinning so bad you can't get out of bed.
I've talked with other Meniere's disease sufferers who have had the same experience with salt. Keeping low helps minimize the ringing.
So there are other reasons to cut back on salt besides the ones commonly stated.
Seems like everywhere i go there's something saying yes salt is bad for you, well you will die without it! The more salt you eat the more water you need to drink and your body will get rid of the access salt, it's that simple.
P.S. above i see something about a low carb diet. that is the stuff that will kill you. starving your body of carbs is no different the starving your body from food all together, this is why when you are on a specific diet like low carbs you crave things that are high in carbs
L B Page, D E Vandevert, K Nader, N K Lubin, and J R Page Blood pressure of Qash'qai pastoral nomads in Iran in relation to culture, diet, and body form.
Am J Clin Nutr April 1981 34: 527-38
QASH'QAI NOMADS IN IRAN . Middle East...collection to assess salt intake?
Dr Page is a well-known medical doctor and researcher in a number of low acculturation-high salt populations in Africa, New Guinea, and Iran. The premise was that non-acculturated groups or tribes who consumed a high amount of salt used in cooking and eating would display high blood pressure. These premises were proven by these studies.
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