Or, probably not. When you support “consensus” instead of the scientific method you get quotes like this:
“We’re not saying we shouldn’t be lowering excessive salt intake,” said Brian Strom of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the IOM committee. But below 2,300 milligrams a day, “there is simply a lack of data that shows it is beneficial.” – Institute of Medicine from a CDC Commissioned Study
Actually, the study does not provide any benefit for any level of reduction from average and above average salt intake. Full Washington Post article here.
(For full disclosure, this has been a pet peeve of mine for almost two decades. I witnessed my Great Grandmother send herself into low sodium shock, leading to coma, because her friends told her that salt was bad. She nearly died… and probably would have had she not had regularly scheduled help who noticed she was unresponsive in her bed. After that incident I decided to explore the harmful nature of salt and found… nothing. Nothing. In fact, all I could find was an idea… an idea that salt was bad for you. This idea seemed to be perpetuated by vegetarian groups and picked up by health magazines and “nutritionists”, and has been repeated for years. I found it odd regarding the vegetarian groups until someone mentioned to me that salt makes meat very, very tasty… bacon anyone? What “science” I found employed an unusually high number of words like “seem, might, could, possibly correlates, appears, etc.” without providing direct causation of harmful effects. The only unequivocal information I discovered was a connection to temporary hypertension… similar to having to urinate… AND the absolute necessity of salt in one’s diet in order for the body and brain to operate correctly. In other words, we must have salt to live and think, which could explain many of the ridiculous ideas coming from those who keep their salt intake low… but I digress. This quest of mine started 20 YEARS AGO, and nothing new has popped up until now. And, what has popped up is what we should already know but doesn’t fit certain folks narrative.)
– So Why reduce your salt intake?
Well, WE just feel like it’s better. It’s healthier because WE believe it’s healthier and you should be forced to do what WE think is best for You. So just shut up and do what we say. Dummy.
Oh, and You must also stop eating meat, drinking booze, driving fast, playing your music loud… and other stuff WE don’t like.
Or, Salt the rim of that Margarita and get on with enjoying your life while ignoring all those busy bodies telling you to feel extra bad about everything you like doing.
Salud!
makeaneffort 