Salt of the earth

Several months back The Seattle Times syndicated columnists Joe and Teresa Graedon responded to a letter from a reader questioning if limiting salt intake is really good advice for all individuals.  (“Is it worth it to lower salt intake?” People’s Pharmacy Column, www.peoplespharmacy.org, The Seattle Times). 

I want to share Joe and Teresa Graedon’s response: 

“It has been an article of faith for decades that everyone should reduce salt intake, but the data don’t show that limiting sodium consumption makes a difference for otherwise healthy people.  The latest research in the Journal of the American Medical Associations (May 4, 2011) reported that lower salt intake was not associated with lower blood pressure.  The people who consumed the least salt had the greatest risk of death from cardiovascular complications.”  Interesting!  “As paradoxical as this seems, it is consistent with previous research.  A national nutrition survey (Journal of General Internal Medicine, September 2008) found that low sodium intake was linked to higher cardiovascular mortality.  A recent study of people with type 1 diabetes found those with the lowest sodium intake were most likely to die during its 10 year duration (Diabetes Care, April 2011).”