Salt success - newsbites - Brief Article

We've been told over and over to avoid anything salty--corned beef, margaritas, Andy Rooney. But one recent study indicates that people on low-salt diets--who restrict their intake to less than 2,000 milligrams a day (roughly the equivalent of one tablespoon and 400 milligrams less than the recommended dietary allowance)--have four times as many heart attacks as people who eat three times as much salt.

Researchers point to a hormone called renin, which kicks into action when the kidneys detect low blood levels of salt. Renin narrows blood vessels, which may increase heart attack risk. Unless you're sensitive to salt or have a medical condition for which low salt is advised, try eating a variety of foods, and let the salt grains fall where they may.

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