Salt Restricted Diet In Hypertension Diets
FDA Warned on Dangers of Salt Restriction. By Dr. Mercola. Salt has long been a treasured staple for humans across the globe. In ancient times, salt was literally worth its weight in gold, as African and European explorers would trade an ounce of salt for an ounce of gold. Roman soldiers were also paid in salt, hence the modern word . Price Foundation (WAPF) is trying to set the record straight, and has warned the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that further plans for salt restriction pose a serious threat to human health.
Learn about the soft foods diet from the Cleveland Clinic. Read about this low fiber diet and how it can help with gastrointestinal distress & pain.
FDA's Salt Restriction Plans Could Harm Your Health. In a recently released document titled . But as WAPF pointed out, the title of the document implies a determination has already been made that Americans' sodium consumption should be reduced, a move that is contrary to scientific evidence. Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, stated. Anything less triggers a cascade of hormones to recuperate sodium from the waste stream, hormones that make people vulnerable to heart disease and kidney problems.
Learn more about dietary salt & the paleo diet. Browse The Paleo Diet A certified nutritional therapist, Craig Fear, recently wrote a blog post we liked so well, we asked him if he’d like to share it on the Real Salt blog as well. Continued Low Salt, Low Sodium = Proven Health Benefits. The ultimate goal, of course, is reducing cardiovascular disease and other complications from hypertension.
One of the steps your doctor may recommend to lower your high blood pressure is to start using the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy. The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution makes it so easy to lose weight and get healthier. Which Is Truly the Best Diet Plan For You? Why so many diet plans? Because not every diet works for every person. If you hate fish, for example, the Mediterranean. Hypertension affects approximately 75 million adults in the United States and is a major risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular disease, and chronic. Of course, the FDA push to control the sodium content of food is cloaked in the argument that low salt diets are beneficial to health. This is simply not so.
This is proven biochemistry. Yet, FDA as well as USDA want to mandate drastically restricted sodium consumption at about one- half teaspoon per day. Health officials' misguided advice to shun the sun comes to mind, as now we are facing epidemic levels of vitamin D deficiency (the advice should be to avoid sunburn, but regular sun exposure is healthy). Likewise, health agencies' advice to severely restrict salt may actually cause significant health problems . Your body cannot make these elements on its own; you must get them from your diet.
Some of the many biological processes for which salt is crucial include: Being a major component of your blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, extracellular fluid, and even amniotic fluid Carrying nutrients into and out of your cells Maintaining and regulating blood pressure Supporting healthy glial cell populations in your brain, which are essential for forming the protective coating known as myelin that surrounds the portion of the neuron that conducts electrical impulses, as well as other vital neurological functions Helping your brain communicate with your muscles, so that you can move on demand via sodium- potassium ion exchange What else is salt good for? WAPF's commentary to the FDA further breaks down the importance of both sodium and chloride for body function: 2. It controls the volume of fluid in the body and helps maintain the acid- base level. About 4. 0 percent of the body's sodium is contained in bone, some is found within other organs and cells, and the remaining 5. Sodium is important in proper nerve conduction, in aiding the passage of various nutrients into cells, and in the maintenance of blood pressure. Sodium- dependent enzymes are required for carbohydrate digestion, to break down complex carbohydrates and sugars into monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose; sodium is also involved in transporting these monosaccharides across the intestinal wall.
Although salt is the most common dietary source for these essential elements, sodium is also available from various foods that contain sodium naturally. Chloride ions also help maintain proper blood volume, blood pressure, and p. H of body fluids. Chloride is the major extracellular anion and contributes to many body functions including the maintenance of blood pressure, acid- base balance, muscular activity, and the movement of water between fluid compartments. Chloride is the major component of hydrochloric acid, which is needed for protein digestion.
Symptoms of hypochlorhydria (low hydrochloric acid) include bloating, acne, iron deficiency, belching, indigestion, diarrhea and multiple food allergies. Chloride is available in very few foods, and adequate chloride must be obtained from salt. This is the diet used in the DASH- sodium study. ONE study that was conducted to determine whether or not a low- salt diet would control hypertension. People on DASH diets did show reduced hypertension, but researchers were so eager and personally invested in proving their salt theory that they completely overlooked other factors – like the fact that the DASH diet is also very low in sugar, including fructose.
Hypertension is actually promoted far more by excess fructose than excess salt, and the amount of salt Americans eat pales in comparison to the amount of fructose they consume on a daily basis. I'm convinced that sugar/fructose—rather than salt—is the major driving force behind our skyrocketing hypertension rates. In fact, it was salt restriction that actually increased the risk of death in those with heart failure.
Furthermore, research in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that the less sodium excreted in the urine (a marker of salt consumption), the greater the risk of dying from heart disease. The study followed 3,6. Europeans for eight years. The participants were divided into three groups: low salt, moderate salt, and high salt consumption. Researchers tracked mortality rates for the three groups, with the following results: Low- salt group: 5.
Moderate salt group: 2. High- salt group: 1. The risk for heart disease was 5. Some studies have shown a modest benefit to salt restriction among some people with high blood pressure, but the evidence does not extend to the rest of the population.
In an average population when salt intakes are reduced, about 3. Hg), while about 2. The remaining 5. 0 percent of the population will show no effect at all of salt intake reduction. In most people, even a significant increase in salt consumption does not raise blood pressure. WAPF explains, as reported by Globe Newswire. Studies show that even modest reductions in salt cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Higher incidence of inflammatory markers and altered lipoproteins are also found by researchers evaluating those on salt- reduced diets. These factors are precursors to metabolic syndrome, which predicts heart problems and diabetes. This is known as hyponatremia, where your body's fluid levels rise and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause a number of health problems, from mild to severe.
At its worst, hyponatremia can be life threatening, leading to brain swelling, coma and death. But mild to moderate hyponatremia has more subtle effects that you or your health care provider may not even connect with a sodium- deficiency problem, including. Along with potential dangers from Senomyx itself (which does not require extensive testing and, as WAPF states, .
A loss of nutrient- dense foods: Certain nutritious foods, such as raw milk cheese and lacto- fermented vegetables, depend on high levels of salt for production. If salt becomes increasingly restricted, it could harm the production of these nutrient- dense foods. Some Types of Salt Are More Dangerous. When you add salt to your diet, the type matters greatly. Today's table salt has practically nothing in common with natural salt.
One is health damaging, and the other is healing. Natural salt is 8.
So, what comprises the rest? The remaining 1. 6 percent of natural salt consists of other naturally occurring minerals, including trace minerals like silicon, phosphorous and vanadium. But the remaining two percent of processed salt is comprised of man- made chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and a little added iodine. You might be tempted to think . Refined salt is dried above 1,2. Fahrenheit, and this excessive heat alone alters the natural chemical structure of the salt.
What remains after ordinary table salt is chemically . These are dangerous chemicals like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate.
In France, 3. 5 percent of table salt sold contains either sodium fluoride or potassium fluoride and use of fluoridated salt is widespread in South America. More than 8. 0 percent of the salt most people consume is from processed foods. Indeed, there is far too much sodium in processed foods.
But you shouldn't be eating those foods anyway—sodium is just one of MANY ingredients in packaged foods that will adversely affect your health. The salt added to these convenience foods is bleached out, trace mineral deficient and mostly sodium—as opposed to natural salt, which is much lower in sodium. The more you can move toward a diet of whole organic foods in their natural state, the healthier you'll be—whether it's veggies, meat, dairy products, or salt. Given that salt is absolutely essential to good health, I recommend limiting processed foods (most of which are high in processed salt) and processed salt and switching to a pure, unrefined salt.
My favorite is an ancient, all- natural sea salt from the Himalayas. So, generally speaking, it is perfectly fine to salt your food to taste, provided the salt you're using is natural and unrefined. If you are exercising heavily, or in the middle of a heat wave, you may require more salt than on a cool day when you're relaxing.
Low Fiber Diet / Soft Foods Diet. This diet is soft in texture, low in fiber, and easy to digest. The goal is to decrease nausea, diarrhea, and gas in the bowel that may cause abdominal pain and discomfort. This diet is often used after abdominal surgery or as a transitional diet after gastroenteritis, diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel flares. FOOD GROUPFOODS ALLOWEDFOODS TO AVOID FOR 4- 6 weeks. MEATS & MEAT SUBSTITUTESChicken, turkey, fish, tender cuts of beef and pork, ground meats, eggs, creamy nut butters, tofu, skinless hot dogs, sausage patties without whole spices. Tough, fibrous meats with gristle, meat with casings (hot dogs, sausage, kielbasa), lunch meats with whole spices, shellfish, beans, chunky peanut butter, nuts.
FRUITS AND JUICESFruit juices without pulp, banana, avocado, applesauce, canned peaches and pears, cooked fruit without the skin/seeds. Juices with pulp, fresh fruit (except banana and avocado), dried fruits, canned fruit cocktail and pineapple, coconut, frozen/thawed berries. VEGETABLESWell- cooked or canned vegetables, potatoes without skin, tomato sauces, vegetable juice. Raw vegetables, all corn, all mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, potato skins, stir- fry vegetables, sauerkraut, pickles, olives, all dried beans, peas, and legumes.
CEREALS AND GRAINSLow- fiber dry or cooked cereals (less than 2 grams fiber per serving), white rice, pasta, macaroni, or noodles. Cereals with nuts, berries, dried fruits, whole grain cereals, bran cereals, granola, brown or wild rice, whole grain pasta. BREADS AND CRACKERSWhite/refined breads and rolls, plain bagel, toast, plain crackers, graham crackers. Whole grain breads- including white whole grain; bread/ rolls with raisins, nuts or seeds, multi- grain crackers. DAIRYMilk, cheese, yogurt, milkshakes, pudding, ice cream, cottage cheese, sherbet ; lactose free or low lactose versions if lactose intolerant.
Dairy product mixed with fresh fruit (except banana), berries, nuts or seeds. DESSERTSPlain cake, pudding, custard, ice cream, sherbet, gelatin, fruit whips. Any dessert that contains nuts, dried fruits, coconut, or fruits with seeds. HERBS AND SPICESAll ground spices or herbs, salt. Whole spices such as peppercorns, whole cloves, anise seeds, celery seeds, rosemary, caraway seeds, and fresh herbs. SNACKS/OTHER FOODSSugar, honey, jelly, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, oil, butter, margarine, marshmallows, cookies without dried fruits or nuts, snack chips and pretzels using refined flours.
Carbonated beverages, jams or jellies with seeds, popcorn. After several weeks, slowly start to reintroduce the “Foods to Avoid” back into your diet unless your doctor has told you otherwise. Try a small portion of one of these foods each day.
If it does not bother you within 2. Continue to add new foods in this way. Some people may continue to have food sensitivities and may need to continue to avoid certain foods. If you cannot tolerate a food, avoid that food for a few weeks before you try it again. Guidelines when eating. Avoid any food that you cannot tolerate or that causes gas, bloating, or stomach pain. Make time for your meals.
Do not eat while you are in a hurry. Cut your food into small pieces. Chew each bite to a mashed potato consistency. Do not eat when you cannot concentrate on chewing well. Drink at least 6- 8 cups of fluid per day. Fluids include: water, coffee, tea, juice, milk, popsicles, soups, gelatin, pudding, ice cream, sherbet, and yogurt. In addition, choose caffeine- free beverages more often, especially if you are having diarrhea or heartburn.
A daily multivitamin may be recommended if diet is limited in amounts or variety of foods. Do not take any herbal supplements without first checking with your doctor.
References. All rights reserved. This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 1.