Has Salt Gotten A Bad Shake?
Carla Davis I’m pretty healthy. Do I really have to worry about how much salt I eat? Here’s the dilemma: While many people are anti-salt because studies have linked it to elevated blood pressure—and thus to heart attacks and strokes—the salt industry vigorously contests this connection. And with some reason. First, while reducing salt intake does make a blood pressure difference for some people, for many others it doesn’t. Second, there’s a dearth of evidence that high salt intake directly increases cardiovascular risk. “Only a single study has found an association in the general population between low-sodium diets and reduced incidence of stroke or heart attack, and that was in a Japanese population where ‘low salt’ individuals consumed more than the US average,” claims Richard L. Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute in Alexandria, VA, an association of salt producers. He calls the current dietary advice “one size fits all” thinking. Third, even hold-the-salt advocates acknowledg
