By now, we all know the U.S. government likes to hold onto all its lies. And it still clings to one big, fat lie about your diet–even though all the real evidence points in the other direction, as I’ll explain in a moment.
But one of the many things I love about science is that it doesn’t go away. And eventually, it reaches a tipping point where even government experts can’t ignore it.
For example, the science about two of the government’s favorite punching bags–dietary cholesterol and saturated fat–piled up over decades. And this spring, government health “experts” finally admitted their decades-long advice to cut dietary cholesterol and saturated fats was all wrong, all along.
That means their advice to avoid eggs, meats and certain types of seafood–like shellfish–was dead wrong all along too.
I keep repeating this news because it boggles the mind how the government could be so steadfastly wrong for so long. All the while, they ignored the real science as well as any real understanding of human biology.
And now that the truth is out…where are all the public service announcements letting everyone know they can put their fears of dietary fat and cholesterol to rest?!
It all proves a point: You can’t trust the government-academic-industrial-medical complex about anything when it comes to your health.
But it’s not just a case of “I told you so.” And you probably wouldn’t be reading this Dispatch if you had any trust left in the government when it comes to your health. You realize you need to look out for yourself.
The main reason for repeating this message is that many well-meaning people, as well as clueless experts on the internet and elsewhere, still don’t get it. So, they still churn out the same old nonsense about how many eggs you can “get away with” eating each week. As if you’re stealing eggs from the henhouse like a fox, which is more often the role of government.
Eggs are the perfect foods–with good protein your body needs, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. They come in a convenient, naturally preserved and sterile package. In fact, if the shell is intact, eggs will preserve for a long time even without refrigeration.
Just ask the fox in the henhouse–who you can probably trust more than government.
So–glory be–the government’s health experts and their co-dependents finally admitted their mistake when it comes to dietary cholesterol and saturated fats. But–as I mentioned earlier–they still cling to another big, fat lie. Despite the science.
And they simply refuse to let it go.
Of course, I’m talking about the government’s misguided advice to restrict salt to absurdly low levels.
As I’ve always said, science shows salt doesn’t affect blood pressure and heart health for most people. And the amount of salt healthy Americans consume each day is simply not a cause for concern. New findings published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics confirm my point.
This new study found that consuming 3,000 mg or more per day of salt had no adverse effect on blood pressure in adolescent girls.
Of course, when I was in medical training during the 1970s, few even understood or paid attention to what is “normal” blood pressure in children and adolescents. But I felt we had a lot to learn.
My original research on this topic, published in the American Journal of Public Health in 1979, showed stress causes high blood pressure in children and adolescents, as we now know it does in adults. Furthermore, the children and adults who maintained “high-salt” diets had lower blood pressure overall. Not higher. So I knew back then salt had nothing to do with the equation.
Now–the average American today consumes 3,000 to 3,500 mg of salt per day. But the government holds steadfast to the myth that Americans should eat no more than 2,300 mg per day (about one teaspoon).
But recent research suggests salt intake up to 6,000 mg per day poses no risk to healthy people. In fact, people who consume less than 3,000 mg per day actually put their health at risk.
You see–salt is simply sodium chloride. It’s the most abundant electrolyte mineral in the ocean. All marine life eats, drinks, swims, and lives in it without any adverse effects.
In humans, important regulatory and hormonal mechanisms make sure we constantly get the right amount of sodium chloride, as well as fluids, which go hand-in-hand throughout the body’s cells, tissues and fluids. Furthermore, if you have healthy kidneys and good circulation, your body will simply get rid of any extra sodium and chloride (salt) it does not need.
Maybe when it comes to sodium chloride–the most important electrolytes in the body–your body knows how much you need better than the feds do!
Of course, processed and packaged goods tend to be high in added salt and added sugar, which is the real culprit when it comes to chronic disease. So strive to cut out all the processed junk food from your diet.
Bottom line?
Don’t worry about salt intake unless your doctor diagnoses you with a kidney problem. (You can learn more about kidney disease and how to manage it in the March 2015 issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter. If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you can access this archived issue by logging on in the top right corner of my website with your username and password. If you’re not yet a subscriber, now is the perfect time to get started.)
Source:
“Longitudinal Effects of Dietary Sodium and Potassium on Blood Pressure in Adolescent Girls,” JAMA Pediatrics (archpedi.jamanetwork.com) 4/27/2015