Higher sodium intake associated with lower blood pressure. You read that right.
Wait. WHAT?? You mean I have deprived myself (except on French fries and corn on the cob) all these years for nothing (reformatted, emphasis mine)?
In another blow against decades of accepted medical wisdom, one of the most prestigious, long-running studies reports that lowering sodium intake doesn’t reduce blood pressure. The study also implies that most Americans are consuming a perfectly healthy amount of salt, the main source of sodium. But those who are salt-sensitive, about 20 to 25 percent of the population, still need to restrict salt intake.
One who is NOT salt-sensitive is TMEW as she puts salt, copious amounts of salt, on everything (except, perhaps ice cream – haven’t PERSONALLY seen her do that, but I can’t swear to it). Yet, her blood pressure is WAY low – like being “athlete low” except she doesn’t exercise at all.
Consuming fewer than 2,500 milligrams of sodium daily is actually associated with higher blood pressure, according to the Framingham Offspring Study report, given today. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily, equal to a teaspoon of ordinary iodized table salt.
High blood pressure is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Hence, lowering salt intake is supposed to lower blood pressure and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. But the study found that supposition to be unfounded. Moreover, the lowest blood pressure was recorded by those who consumed 4,000 milligrams or more a day — amounts considered dangerously high by medical authorities such as the American Heart Association.
While this is nutritional science instead of climate science, it just goes to show that we just don’t know everything that we think we do and that the “experts” are only expert on what has most recently been report. Science is NEVER settled because it isn’t “science by consensus” or “science at the moment”. Science is skepticism and should remain that way (note to journalists – Skepticism should be in your DNA regards of Left vs Right issues) even on things thought to be “ha! we’re done!) because it never is.
(H/T: Instapundit)
