Salt: Is Too Much Causing Autoimmune Disease?

[Northerner]

What comes crashing down with excessive salt? Dr Stephen Havas, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland says, “The number of deaths from excess salt is equivalent to a commuter jet crashing every day in the U.S.” During a recent visit to the Harvard Medical School, I also learned that too much salt may be causing autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s Disease and psoriasis.

For years doctors have linked excessive amounts of salt to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Dietary guidelines suggest no more than 1,500 milligrams (mgs) of salt daily. But the majority of North Americans consume a whopping 4,000 mgs daily.

http://www.southasiamail.com/news.php?id=115765

 

[Vicsetter]

Am I being thick? what's with the 1500 milligrams and 4000 milligrams, aren't these really 1.5 grams and 4 grams? I also thought the UK guideline was a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day, so the North Americans are doing really well.

 

[Northerner]

Am I being thick? what's with the 1500 milligrams and 4000 milligrams, aren't these really 1.5 grams and 4 grams? I also thought the UK guideline was a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day, so the North Americans are doing really well.

I wouldn't be surprised if they are getting mixed up with sodium, as I think that is more their normal measure than actual salt.

 

[KookyCat]

They're mixing up salt and sodium, the 1.5g is sodium, so 4g is too much, ours is 6g salt which is about 2.4g of sodium. Very confusing!

 

[bill hopkinson]

I wouldn't be surprised if they are getting mixed up with sodium, as I think that is more their normal measure than actual salt.

Sodium level is roughly 50% of sodium chloride level.

Sodium is mainly on the outside of your cells, extracellular fluid helps determine the amount of water your body retains in contrast with potassium, which exists predominantly inside your cells. If your sodium intake is high, your kidneys cut back on releasing water into your urine so you can balance out the excess sodium surrounding your cells. This results in an increased blood volume due to water retention.

Does it show that my day job is a professor and that my first degree was in chemistry?