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Today, a warning to FDA was released by The Weston A Price Foundation on the dangers of the government’s new lower-yet salt intake recommendations. These restrictions are one-third what is needed for good health for most people. This caused me to recall that in May 2011 JAMA published an large independent study showing a quadrupling of the death rate in low-salt eaters compared to high-salt eaters. Results of this startling study follow today’s news on the warning to FDA.– Augie
FDA is Warned on Dangers of Salt Restriction
Weston A. Price Foundation Nutrition Education Non-Profit Files Comments
January 24, 2012–Washington, DC–The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) has warned the FDA that plans for salt restriction pose a health threat to Americans of all ages, in comments submitted to the agency yesterday.
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation dedicated to accurate scientific information about diet and health. Last year, WAPF led the criticism of USDA 2010 dietary guidelines.
WAPF noted that by entitling their document “Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption,” the FDA has signaled that it has already decided that Americans’ sodium consumption should be reduced. But neither history nor the scientific evidence support this approach.
“A study from 1991 indicates that people need about one and one-half teaspoons of salt per day,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Anything less triggers a cascade of hormones to recuperate sodium from the waste stream, hormones that make people vulnerable to heart disease and kidney problems. This is proven biochemistry. Yet, FDA as well as USDA want to mandate drastically restricted sodium consumption at about one-half teaspoon per day.”
WAPF testimony noted that salt plays a critical role in body physiology and brain function. In the elderly, lack of salt is associated with increased hip fractures and cognitive decline; low salt diets in growing children predisposes to poor neurological development.
Proposals to restrict salt cite benefits to hypertension. But only 30 percent of the population experiences a slight reduction in blood pressure on a salt restricted diet, while 70 percent show no benefit.
“These statistics don’t justify a population-wide policy of salt reduction,” says Fallon Morell
Recent studies show a correlation of salt restriction with increased heart failure and with insulin resistance leading to diabetes. Studies show that even modest reductions in salt cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher incidence of inflammatory markers and altered lipoproteins are also found by researchers evaluating those on salt reduced diets. These factors are precursors to metabolic syndrome, which predicts heart problems and diabetes.
Both sodium and chloride, the components of salt, are needed for digestion. These elements form the basis of cellular metabolism and our only source of adequate intake is salt.
The Foundation also cautions the FDA that salt reductions will increase food safety risks. Salt is a traditional food preservation medium with an excellent track record. Artisan cheeses, preserved meats like salami and traditional pickled foods like sauerkraut require salt to prevent contamination by pathogens.
“Our biggest concern is that with FDA dictates against salt, manufacturers will add imitation salt flavors like Senomyx to processed foods,” says Fallon Morell. “Marketed as a food, so it does not require testing, and added in amounts so small that is does not need to be labeled, this neurotropic compound can interfere with our natural taste for salt, leading to severe deficiencies. Or, people will become obese as they eat more and more, trying to satisfy the body’s need for salt.”
The Weston A. Price Foundation fully referenced commentary is posted at http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/wapf-comments-fda-salt.pdf.
Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501c3 nutrition education non-profit. www.westonaprice.org
CONTACT: Kimberly Hartke, 703-860-2711, cell 703-675-5557 press@westonaprice.org
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Low-Salt Death Rate 4 Times Higher
Last May, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study of 3,681 people that correlated their salt intake with hypertension and cardiovascular disease and death. The results are clear: People with greater salt intake have significantly less heart disease and death from it.
The authors concluded:
The associations between systolic pressure and sodium excretion did not translate into less morbidity or improved survival. On the contrary, low sodium excretion predicted higher cardiovascular mortality. Taken together, our current findings refute the estimates of computer models of lives saved and health care costs reduced with lower salt intake. They do also [sic] not support the current recommendations of a generalized and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake at the population level. However, they do not negate the blood pressure-lowering effects of a dietary salt reduction in hypertensive patients.
Independence of the Study
The study is entitled “Fatal and Nonfatal Outcomes, Incidence of Hypertension, and Blood Pressure Changes in Relation to Urinary Sodium Excretion”, Katarzyna Stolarz-Skrzypek, MD, PhD et al, doi 2011;305(17):1777-1785. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.574
Article abstract
An excellent article by Heidi Stevenson is at Gaia Health
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