PDFSummarized in an article in the Guardian on March 15th 2015, compelling evidence was put forward demonstrating the connexion between excess salt intake and various diseases.
It always worries me when research projects focus on salt intake, without identifying how much water the subjects are - or more importantly are not - drinking. There is no doubt that consuming excess salt is a Bad Thing. But while researchers point to the undeniable fact that in general modern eating habits in the western world include much more salt than previously, they seem to fail to perceive that another big change has been the tendency to avoid drinking water, in favour of synthetic juices, fizzy drinks, alcohol, in fact anything rather than plain water. This of course affects the way the body uses its salt intake. It would be interesting to see the results from a study which took into account water intake alongside salt consumption. Lack of balance between salt and water intake might just prove to be another important link in the jigsaw identifying the causes of modern-day ill-health.
© Vivian Grisogono March 15th 2015
