Richard L. Hanneman
Salt Institute
Salt and Health newsletter
Spring 2007
Confusion in the study of nutrient effects in relation to disease outcomes in the past has been reflected in health policy and dietary advice. The promotion of increased or decreased intakes of specific nutrients may well improve single medical conditions in some settings and in some individuals. We now recognize, however that emphasis on these narrow approaches is misplaced, diverting time, effort, and tax dollars that could be directed toward practices with population-wide benefits. Dietary recommendations must be based on strategies that have the greatest likelihood of accomplishing the purposes for which they are designed. Public and voluntary health organizations are gradually moving from the tenuous database of single-nutrient studies to that of dietary patterns, integrating new, more stable, and more comprehensive findings into practical and practicable recommendations.