Salt. Tiny white granules of flavor. Used in ancient times as a preservative of food. So prized by the Romans that they paid part of their soldiers’ wages in salt (the word salary comes from salarium = payment of salt). Nowadays, salt is so easily obtained and plentiful, it appears on every table.

Salt is the most common flavor enhancer in the modern western diet. But is it good for you? How much is too much?

Some salt consumption is absolutely essential in humans. Salt is an electrolyte and basically acts as a conductor for electrical processes in the body. Salt also regulates the body’s water content. Disturbances in the electrolyte balance can lead to cardiac and neurological problems.

Studies published recently state there is an undeniable correlation between salt consumption and risk of death from coronary disease and stroke. But studies published just a year ago, state the opposite - that lowering salt intake seemed to increase risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

From the researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine - February 2006:

The researchers concluded that people who reported restricting daily salt intake to less than 2,300 milligrams a day were significantly more likely to have died from cardiovascular causes than people who ate more salt, even after adjusting for total calorie intake, age, smoking status, and other known risk factors for heart disease.

From a study led by Nancy Cook of Harvard Medical School - April 2007:

The findings, from a 15-year study, offer the clearest evidence yet that cutting salt consumption saves lives by reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease. People who ate less salty food were found to have a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiac arrest or stroke, and a 20 per cent lower risk of premature death. The results, published in the British Medical Journal, underline the need for population-wide salt reductions in the diet, the scientists conclude.

Who’s right?

I don’t know - do I have a 37% higher chance of dying or a 25% less chance of dying?

The second study, related only to individuals who already had high blood pressure. It is not even known for sure how salt increases blood pressure. Contrasting the two diametrically opposed studies, some researchers have come to the conclusion that salt affects different people differently.

To be safe, I will keep my eye on how quickly the salt shaker empties and needs refilling.

Scientists prove that salty diet costs lives

Low Salt Diet May Not Cut Heart Risk

A new study brings some depressing statistics. Baby Boomers report more health problems and more pain and difficulty in performing daily tasks than did their predecessors just 10 years ago.

Recent studies have shown the rate of disability among those 65 and older to be declining but these statistics suggest that in 10 years, boomers may not be enjoying the same rate of good health. Researchers compared self-reported health in three age groups - those born in 1936-41 (now ages 66 to 71), 1942-47 (now ages 60 to 65) and 1948-53 (now ages 54 to 59).

The study showed:

* The two younger groups were less likely than the oldest group to have said their health was “excellent or very good” at 51 to 56 years of age.
* The youngest group reported having more pain, chronic health conditions, and drinking and psychiatric problems than people who were the same age 12 years earlier.
* Compared with the oldest group, the youngest group was more likely to have reported difficulty in walking, climbing steps, getting up from a chair, kneeling or crouching, and doing other normal daily physical tasks.

So, what happened? Researchers suggest that it may be the rising incidence of obesity and obesity-related problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

I wonder if there isn’t a psychological aspect to these physiological findings. The oldest group, born during The Great Depression and World War II, experienced more hardship and had parents who experienced more hardship than did the subsequent generations. The boomer generation is the one that celebrated youth, the generation least comfortable with the idea of growing old, the generation that proclaimed distrust for anyone over 30. Boomers may the be generation most uncomfortable with the physical evidence of aging, and therefore take more notice of it.

Whatever the reason, the data suggest that the boomer generation may not reach retirement age as active individuals refusing to leave the work force but instead contribute to rising health care costs.

In this weight-conscious world, we are beset with numbers and formulas for optimum weight and health. Body Mass Index, or BMI, has been held as a standard for determining if you are overweight and face health risks from increased body fat. But calculating your BMI (body mass index) does not always give you a true measurement of your amount of body fat.

Research done by a team from Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University measured the BMI of 400 college students and found that in many cases, it was an inaccurate measurement of total body fat.

BMI doesn’t distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass. It is simply a mathematical equation using height and weight. A bodybuilder, for example, carries a lot of pounds in the form of muscle but according to BMI measurments would be overweight.

Of course, I would love to have that excuse - “It’s not fat, it’s muscle” - but alas, my doctor is unlikely to be convinced. They both bulge, but muscle doesn’t spill out over the waist of your slacks. It’s worth a shot, though. I mean, the research is out there…

Read the article at MSU

BMI calculator from National Institutes of Health

There are some things we just don’t think about too often nor do they come up in everyday conversation. You probably discuss your latest diet with your friends or that nasty cold that lasted three weeks but it’s very rare that the conversation at lunch turns to the health of your colon.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month and experts at the M D Anderson Cancer Center want you to think about colon health. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in men and women.

Reducing your risk of developing colorectal cancer means maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy diet as well as getting screening exams at recommended ages.

Lifestyle recommendations from M D Anderson:

* Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
* Limit fat intake to no more than 30 percent of your total daily calories.
* Exercise regularly.
* Maintain an ideal weight.

In addition M D Anderson recommends the following screening exams for men and women 50 and over:

* Colonoscopy - Every 10 years (preferred by M. D. Anderson).
* Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) - Every year a take-home multiple sample FOBT or fecal immunochemical test (FIT, which also is a take-home test) should be taken.
* Flexible sigmoidoscopy - Every five years.
* Annual FOBT or FIT and flexible sigmoidoscopy - Every five years. Having both of these tests is recommended over either test alone.
* Double-contrast barium enema - Every five years.
* All positive tests (FOBT, FIT, flexible sigmoidoscopy, barium enema) should be followed up with colonoscopy.

Regular screenings can detect and remove colorectal polyps before they have a chance to progress to cancer.

M D Anderson Cancer Center