The Top 10 Benefits of a Low Salt Diet

10) Be the first one on your block who can say they had a heart attack.

Low salt diet increases your risk by 26 to 34%. Simply think of it as a broken heart and it won't be so bad. Besides, your doctor will have a pill that can fix it (hopefully) and you will help his practice.

9) Be the first on your block to be able to say you had a stroke.

Low salt diet increases your risk by 26 to 34%. Help your doctor pay the overpriced malpractice insurance he is burdened with.

8) Increase the chances of your loved ones being able to collect on your life insurance policy earlier. Make sure it is paid up or switch to a moderate natural salt intake until you do.

7) You can blame your doctor for your health problems once opinions about salt intake change. Okay, this does not benefit anyone but you can feel good about venting.

The history of the salt debate dates back to over 100 years ago. Lewis Dahl joined the controversy in the 1950's, long before any medical intervention was available. His research dropped off in the early 1970's when randomized studies started to become available.

Until this time, he offered the the so-called "proof" that salt causes high blood pressure.

INFLUENCE OF DIETARY POTASSIUM AND SODIUM/POTASSIUM MOLAR RATIOS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SALT HYPERTENSION J Exp Med. 1972 Aug 1; 136(2): 318–330. Lewis K. Dahl, George Leitl, and Martha Heine

Extreme Salt Intake Causes High Blood Pressure in Your Pet Lab Rat "Rats, I Love Salt!"

He demonstrated the salt risk by feeding his rats what would be the equivalent for a human of over 560 grams of sodium a day (remember, if he meant sodium and not salt, it is a part of table salt). There is 6.15 grams of salt per teaspoon of table salt. A teaspoon of salt contains about 2000 mg of sodium (2 grams of sodium). So, if you eat over 100 teaspoons of salt, you will be at risk of getting high blood pressure according to the study, or at least your pet lab rat would. That is the science for suggesting low salt diet is healthy.

It has been disproved numerous times but continues to be the basis for the 'Low Salt Mantra.'

Of course, this is way more salt than most people in the West use, even more than a salt-a-holic on an all night salt binge would use, but we digress.

Salt and hypertension: a skeptical review of the evidence.
Clin Sci (Lond). 1979 Dec;57 Suppl 5:463s-480s.

Commentary: Possible role of salt intake in the development of essential hypertension Niels Graudal

Dahl suggested there is evidence that cultures who consume higher levels of salt tend to have higher blood pressure than those who consume less salt. How much salt?

First note that the CDC sates the average American takes in about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day or about 3.3 grams.

The above study says as its conclusion....

"Among societies or groups habitually consuming low salt diets (perhaps 5 g of NaCl per person per day or less) essential hypertension will be uncommon. Among societies or groups consuming high amounts of salt (in excess of 10–15 g per person per day) essential hypertension will be common. Individual susceptibility will determine which one individual in a group will develop the disease."

Wait, when was the last time you had more than the average 3,300 mg or 3.3 grams of salt? And what was the result? If you consume 5 grams or less, "...high blood pressure is unlikely."

BUT...when the Intersalt researchers looked at the possible association, while considering confounding factors, they found that any relationship between blood pressure and salt intake just about totally disappeared.

Also noted above: Commentary: Possible role of salt intake in the development of essential hypertension
Niels Graudal

Why would the biased Dahl evidence still be used to justify restricting salt intake?

Money Money Patients Are Profits

Ask yourself, "Who would benefit from my having a low salt diet if I would not?"

Who will profit from my having a low salt diet. The cost of salt is pennies.

The cost of high blood pressure pills, taken for the rest of your life...priceless. Then as the side effects from the blood pressure start to occur, it will not be a problem. There are other drugs that will help. Of course, hopefully you have updated your life insurance and have bought stocks in the pharmaceutical companies.

One more question. Why do over 95% of the people who try the Water Cures protocol (which we are not selling, we give this life saving knowledge away) send their testimonies saying it lowered their blood pressure and they no longer need the medications? It is one of those things that make you go 'hmmmmmm.'

Please note, we gladly accept money from any who feel the need to pay for help or those who just want help others who cannot afford help. We are entirely funded by voluntary donations. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Yet another question....Why do people in the hospital getting a saline IV get more salt than we recommend on the Water Cures protocol? Are we not suggesting enough salt?

But Become An Educated Consumer Your Health is Your Wealth, Don't Flush It Down The Drain

Note: If you are under a doctors care, it is not wise to just stop. Some treatments, if you go off abruptly, can cause serious harm to you. There are those who get wonderful results from their doctors. There are great doctors in the world just as there are really bad natural practitioners. Don't let the 99% who are bad for you give the rest a bad name. Also don't condemn those who do not think the same as you.

(6) You can blame your genetics for your bad health and not have to take responsibility nor the need to become an educated consumer. All you have to do is repeat the mantra: "I will do what ever my doctor tells me to do." This of course, will spur more genetic research and help scientists keep their jobs.

Genetics of salt-sensitive hypertension. Sanada H1, Jones JE, Jose PA.

Just a thought: "In the 25 years of nursing and over 10,000 IV's, I only started an IV on one person who was salt sensitive. There are 8 genotypes that are sensitive to too much and 8 genotypes that are sensitive to too little. Yet another reason for questioning universal salt restrictions."

5) Low Salt Means You Need Less Potassium: No Need to listen to mom and eat your veggies, the best source of potassium. Actually, this benefits mom. When you find you were wrong and she was right, she can say, "See, I told you so."

Not enough potassium in our diet, which comes from veggies, is linked to numerous health problems. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), said low potassium intake puts you at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all causes of mortality.

Warning: Do not self medicate or supplement with potassium supplements. The results can be disastrous for your health. Only use it under a doctors supervision or do the next best thing, eat at least 50% of your diet as fruits and veggies, ie, listen to your mom.

Additionally, low potassium intake is related to

Kidney Stones
Memory Loss
Cataracts
Osteoprosis
Ulcers
Stomach Cancer
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Erectile Dysfunction
Hair Loss
Depression
Fatigue
Muscle Weakness

4) It helps prevent your local healthcare executives from becoming second or third homeless. This benefits both doctors and health care execs.

Many of the very wealthy in healthcare have second and even third homes they vacation in. They need someplace to spend the excess money they make from the healthcare business. Without the extra profits from people following the low salt insanity, they could possibly lose those extra properties.

3) Helps ensure your investment in pharmaceutical companies that produce blood pressure and cancer drugs profitable. (more on cancer below). Benefit to both you (so long as you have stocks) and big pharma.

2) Helps keep doctors, nurses, and numerous healthcare staff employed. Your sacrifice keeps so many in jobs. Keep up the good work, er eh, low salt diet. Can you imagine if everyone started eating a moderate amount of salt and improved their health. Countless nurses and doctors would be out of work. Benefit, obvious.

There Is No Benefit Except For Those Who Have Jobs Because Of Low Salt Diets

1) It may help you to learn empathy for those who are diabetic once you become one. A low-salt diet results in higher plasma levels of renin, cholesterol, and triglycerides. A 2010 Harvard study linked low-salt diets to an immediate onset of insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 Diabetes. Benefit to all those who experience your empathy.

If you are a Type 2 diabetic, you have a greater risk of premature death numerous causes and cardiovascular mortality if you are on a low-salt diet. Perhaps we should be questioning the validity of a low salt diet for those with Type 2 diabetes.

A low salt diet would be very dangerous for the elderly (which you may never be if you stay on a low salt diet). Elderly people with hyponatremia (low salt in the blood) fall more often, break hips and have decreased ability to think or process things mentally. But you have to look at this pragmatically. The benefit is there will be greater profits for the healthcare system. Their loss puts food on the tables of nurses, doctors and so many other healthcare staff.

Mild chronic hyponatremia is associated with falls, unsteadiness, and attention deficits.

Predictors of impaired cognitive function in men over the age of 80 years: results from the Health in Men Study.

Low salt in the blood is rather common in the elderly and even more common in those who are very ill.

This means we are putting grandma's health at risk by the universal sodium restriction policy. A question to ask, is healthcare putting profits ahead of people.

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