About the only time I use a LOT of salt is right now – for corn on the cob. The local farm we patronize (“Farmer Andy” as DCE over at Weekend Pundit calls him) has a great brand of butter and sugar corn. There have been some years that I’ve remembered to go get some and realized that they’ve already closed for the day. THIS year, we’ve reliably picked it up pretty much every other day. Which for me has meant quite a bit of salt:
Participants in a recent study with the highest intake of sodium and potassium actually had significantly lower blood pressure, according to an analysis presented earlier this year at the American Society for Nutrition’s Scientific Sessions meeting in Chicago. The group with the lowest blood pressure averaged a daily sodium intake of 3.7 grams a day, far higher than the guidelines suggest.
The findings echo those of a 2016 study published in The Lancet. The largest of its kind, the review looked at sodium intake and blood pressure data in over 130,000 individuals from 49 countries with varying degrees of salt consumption. Low sodium intake was defined as up to 3 grams a day, just shy of the 3.4 grams a day that Americans average. Four and 5 grams a day was considered “moderate” intake, and 7 or more grams a day as “high” consumption.
The authors found that populations with very low sodium intake seemed to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death than those with moderate intake. So did people on high-salt diets, but only those with high blood pressure in the first place. According to the data, moderate to high salt consumption in people with normal blood pressure did not appear to have the dire consequences that might have been presumed.
And for how long has this been pounded into us – salt can cause high blood pressure. Once again (and yes, I’m looking at you, Climate Change), we see that “settled” isn’t settled at all. This is not how science works because EVERYTHING should be questioned all the time. That’s how science works – see something “interesting”, create a hypothesis, create a reproducible experiment, gather data, and then see if the data confirms or ruins the hypothesis.
That last part? Again, I assiduously refrain from using salt on my foot but TMEW uses LOTS – almost using salt to salt her salt. Well, guess who has the high blood pressure (which we’ve been told high salt usage can cause) and who doesn’t (in fact, below normal pressure).
Yeah, the guy who keeps pushing the salt shaker away.
(H/T: Instapundit)
