Give it up, Americans -- just go ahead and cut back on the salt

Salt. Cigarettes. Salt. Cigarettes. Don't see a connection? You will. In fact, you might as well start reducing your salt consumption now. Not only would it improve your health, you're just going to be nagged incessantly until you do.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joined the you're-consuming-too-much-sodium chorus, releasing an analysis of salt-consumption data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  

This is the high point: "Overall, 9.6% of all adults met their applicable recommended limit."

Everyone else got too much. 

The report comes on the heels of other recent statistics, warnings and admonitions about our salt consumption:

USDA's new dietary guidelines restrict salt, sugar and saturated fats

Food companies sign up for war on salt

FDA calls for salt cutbacks

Less salt, fewer health issues, studies say

Federal panel sounds alarm on national hypertension 'emergency'

And those are just from the last few months.

Don't want to be hasty? Rather wait for more alarming data? Hope all those doctors and public health officials will change their minds?

Fine.

But when you ask for the salt shaker at a restaurant -- and you're sent outside to the patio or, maybe, the street corner to season your food -- don't say we didn't warn you.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Getty Images

Comments

[David]

Come on the CDC data is based on a flawed computer model that makes erroneous assumptions about the magnitude of blood pressure increases from salt consumption. Look at the Cochrane (a non profit organization that evaluates clinical studies) review of the salt vs blood pressure trials. Their conclusion "The magnitude of the effect in Caucasians with normal blood pressure does not warrant a general recommendation to reduce sodium intake." Only a small percentage of the population is salt sensitive and that doesn't warrant an across the board program to reduce salt consumption. Also if you look, you will find that our sodium levels are maintained at an optimal level through normal kidney function in healthy people. So here we go again creating a scare campaign for non scientific reasons.

[David]

Um, you really expect me to believe the government? Can't the LA times do better than that? Or, maybe the LA times is the government. So sad.

[Zorro for the Common Good]

Not to mention that far more of our sodium comes from processed food than from the salt shaker. This is not just a semantic point. If we want to reduce our sodium intake (and improve our food quality in general), we have to stop pretending it's all about individual willpower. Instead, we need to push for larger changes to our entire food delivery system.

[Fusami]

Then stop eating processed food. Learn to COOK. What a concept.

[The Bell]

Salt in franchise-f00d restaurants is contaminated with aluminum compounds, and much of its apparent overuse probably goes toward masking the rotten taste of garbage culinary ingredients put there with the blessing of the FDA & USDA.

Consider that before throwing the kitchen sink at honest-to-god salt which, if used properly, serves a purpose. And not a bad one at that.