New Sodium Intake Research and the Response of Health Organizations
The American Journal of Hypertension recently published findings from a comprehensive meta-analysis monitoring health outcomes for individuals based on their daily sodium intake. The results suggested that levels of daily sodium intake recommended by governmental agencies like CDC are too low. Media outlets were quick to broadcast the findings, and CDC and organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) dismissed the analysis, without pointing to specifics, as relying on “faulty methodology” and “flawed data.” Oxford University Press interviewed Niels Graudal, lead author of the meta-analysis, about his research and his opinion on the government health agencies’ reaction to the new findings. – Oxford University Press Blog
Of Salt, Saltation, and Salience: The Case for Fixing What’s Broken
There is reason to believe that most people consume too much sodium and would benefit from consuming less. But whether the topic is salt, saturated fat, calories, or even the health effects of consuming vegetables and fruits, saltation (jumping from one position to another) seems to be the prevailing inclination in modern nutrition—especially in the popular press—according to David L. Katz, founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. Two recent studies compel Dr. Katz to revisit discussions about sodium. The first, a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Hypertension in early April, predictably garnered more media attention, because it challenged the prevailing view. The second study, recently published online in BMJ Open, went in the opposite direction, finding that too much sodium is the problem after all. Dr. Katz’s conclusion remains unchanged: Most people consume too much sodium and would benefit from reducing their intake, and it is also possible to consume too little. Conclusions about sodium in our diets should not be based on any one study, he argues, but rather on the overall weight of evidence. – Huffington Post
Dr. Katz expands on this article in a follow-up Huffington Post article.