Headlines & features

New studies suggest that the federal government's initiative to decrease consumption of sodium is not only unnecessary but is also "futile" and possibly risky to human physiology. Read on. (pdf 311.92 kB)

Low-salt diets have been thought to activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) and sympathetic nervous systems, both of which can increase insulin resistance - a precursor to Type II Diabetes. To verify this phenomenon, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Vanderbilt University and the University of Utah tested the hypothesis in otherwise healthy subjects. Healthy individuals were studied after 7 days of a low salt diet (1.2 g salt/d) and 7 days of high-salt diet (9 g salt/d) in a random order. Insulin resistance was measured after each diet and compared statistically. The low-salt diet was found to be significantly associated with an increase in insulin resistance. Read more..........

Mild sodium deficiency (hyponatremia) is the most common form of electrolyte imbalance in older people and has been shown to be associated with walking impairment, attention deficits and a much higher frequency of falls. Read the rest.

Public health advice to minimise salt consumption to lower blood pressure is based on spurious science and does not recognise the complex role of sodium in the body, say scientists whose study attacks the basis of dietary guidelines. Read the rest.

Researchers state: “Thus, despite the increase in processed foods in the US marketplace over the past 50y, total caloric imbalance and the resultant epidemic of obesity may be a more important determinant of the increased prevalence of hypertension than sodium intake,” Read more.

The good people over at My Food. My Choice! went out and interviewed some of the best chefs in New York City on looming salt bans. As the nanny state continues its power grab and attempts to tell us how to live our life on a more intrusive basis everyday it is great to see people standing up and fight back. Its going to take average Americans like these chefs, people who aren’t necessarily political, to keep the food police at bay. The awakening of the everyday American is our last, best hope. Posted on SI website and at this link.

The idea of the government restricting America’s salt intake might sound funny and a bit ridiculous, but it is a very plausible and serious proposal. Read on.

The Detroit Salt Co. LLC has been acquired by an Ontario-based manufacturer of de-icing products. Entire article.

A paper published by well-known Harvard nutritionists, Adam Bernstein and Walter Willett demonstrates that over the past several decades, while hypertenson levels increased, sodium intakes remained unchanged.

THE FACTS Nothing but time can cure the common cold , but a simple cup of salt water might ease the misery this winter. Read on.