Not too much salt

[Walter]

Another "the science is settled" myth takes a kick in the teeth.

 

[Slim Chance]

Remind you a bit about the ole margarine-butter debate that rages on?

 

[AnnaG]

Although the Japanese have a high salt content in their diet, they also consume a lot of green teas and other things that counteract some nasty effects about salt, such as salt's ability to deaden the body's messages to quit eating. Green teas are appetite suppressants.
All things in moderation.

 

[Tonington]

These kinds of simple analysis suffer from what's called lurking variables. Like Anna said, Japanese diets are also high in other beneficial dietary components, so it's not obvious that their longevity is due to salt, or even that it is due to diet. Also, I don't know how many nutritionists and primary health practitioners out there advise people to eat below the recommended daily value of sodium without cause.

Reduced sodium is helpful for those who have medical conditions which already lead to high blood pressure.

There needs to be a reason to mitigate your dietary choices.

 

[eh1eh]

Ya. If I gave up beer and bacon I guess I could just pound the salt. So to speak.
I save my salt for cooking and avoid processed food as much as possible so when I have 'pomme frite' (I make some good ones) and a rib steak with corn on the cob then I can us the salt as I see fit.

 

[Twila]

hmmmmm salt. when we add salt, we use sea salt. But that's rare. Most things just don't need salt.

 

[JLM]

Another "the science is settled" myth takes a kick in the teeth.

Ever notice what salt does to concrete? Actually I'm half in agreement, some salt is desirable and not harmful, but like everything else MODERATION is the key. You don't need three shovel loads of it in a bag of potato chips. However you can't ignore the fact that salt does drive up blood pressure. By the same token if you drank five gallons of water and ran three miles you'd probably nullify the effects.