WHO hold an unscientific, incorrect and dangerous position on salt. It is an important example of why ethical physicians must ignore WHO's advice, treaty or no treaty.
Many resources on James Roguskis' website re: WHO IHR Amendments and their push for MANDATES and ENFORCEMENT of their idea of Health-not mine...here's just the latest
Here is my thread about the connection between salt intake, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, humidity, mucosal layers, and respiratory diseases / influenza-like illness (ILI) in winter seasons:
Great information Mello. Have missed seeing you on Substack latterly.
Doctors do push low salt diets, and this Substack is the first time I have seen salt promoted, their being no billions of dollars in be made from selling salt.
So, salt shortage= sickly. Now who benefits when people are sick?
I have POTS...which I got, BTW, before covid was a thing, even though the media is hyping POTS suddenly as being caused by covid. People with POTS need extra salt and often take salt tablets. This blanket recommendation is stupid on its face.
Salt and fat are essential for survival, but not lab-produced salt and not corn or soy oil from GMO crops. Natural products, however, are becoming harder and harder to get, because product labeling has become quite lax, if I may use an understatement.
Nutritionists are making about 60 grand a year for misadvising patients about a healthy diet:
James Roguski argues that the WHO is working around the treaty route that would require consent of executive or legislative bodies.
"The method (silence procedure) by which amendments to the International Health Regulations are adopted requires NEITHER a Presidential signature NOR the advice and consent of the Senate.
Amendments were adopted in this manner on May 27, 2022.
Fortunately I take my health advice from my own body.
I use lots of salt. I've always had blood pressure on the low-normal side, and if I listened to those morons I'd likely have blood pressure on the corpse side.
Maybe close to 50 years ago, a friend was complaining about water retention. I told her to drink more water (within a normal range of consumption) and she looked at me like I was nuts. But she tried it and told me it worked like a miracle. Why? More water flushed out more sodium from her tissues and resolved the problem. I don't think I was a shamanic healer though; I'm sure I read that somewhere and we proved it was true.
A glass of water and a pinch of salt* is recommended for dehydration, especially chronic dehydration ('Your Body's Many Cries For Water' Dr Fereydoon Batmanghelidj)...
* I only use Himalaya Pink salt (which, strangely, tastes sweet if you use gtoo much on your foods)...
Salt is salt. It all originates from the sea, even if you're mining it thousands of miles away.
Sure--various trace minerals will affect the flavor and fancy names will affect the price.
Me--I use Diamond Kosher Salt, I always have. Salts are milled differently so a tsp. of one won't be exactly equivalent to a tsp. of another (look up Morton Salt vs Diamond Kosher salt for an explanation of that).
With all them oil spills over the years--I'd rather stick with rock salt i.e. sea salt laid down a gazillion years ago.
Great article and you are exactly right. Giving the WHO increased power will promote great misery on the population as they impose nonsensical policies on the World due to their incompetence and corrupt character.
Maybe I’m way off track, but salt is used in food preservation. Maybe the WHO is taking the long view: control how much salt someone can purchase, control how much food someone can store, control their ability to feed themselves.
The establishment still won't give up on their cholesterol position, nor their insistence that "fat makes you fat" while ignoring carbs, and failing to differentiate between quality of food instead of micronutrients. But butting into policy is even worse than just recommending the wrong things.
Salt sensitivity that can lead to high blood pressure is genetic, specifically determined by the AGT and ACE genes that are involved in the blood pressure response to sodium intake. Variations in these genes make a person have low, moderate or high sensitivity to salt. No one is testing people for variations in these genes. Following your advice to consume multiple grams of sodium per day is deadly for many. Humans only need 500 mg/sodium/day for basic metabolic function. 1500mg is the current AHA recommendation and it is a wise recommendation, not that most people follow it. For some, 1500mg is too much. For those with these gene variations and high blood pressure, avoiding adding sodium in the form of salt helps to keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Sodium attracts water and water increases blood volume which in turn increases blood pressure, potentially causing damage to the blood vessels, heart and kidneys. Those with genetic salt sensitivity do not metabolize sodium as efficiently as others and so the sodium builds up in the bloodstream attracting water that increases blood volume leading to hypertension. You should know better than to rely on one study. The recommended levels of salt intake in that study are ridiculous. You need to look at the whole body of research and look at who did and paid for the studies. Look at the food industry now and historically. Look at the politics. Modern food preparation adds a lot of salt and sugar to create addiction, but even natural salts are problematic for someone with genetic salt sensitivity. WHO's power is a separate issue.
Come walk in my shoes for 48 hours after eating the amount of salt recommended in that article and tell me what you think then. I explained that it is genetic. Are you ignoring what I wrote?
My article addresses that higher end salt intake is not for everyone, as Dr. Brownstein noted. The study shows that in general the WHO has the ranges wrong for most people. You are not most people. I hope you feel better soon.
That's not the point. You are brushing off the scientific aspect of salt sensitivity. Not interested? How does one know that higher end salt intake is for them? Are genes being tested? Are people being advised to monitor their blood pressure on this high salt diet? Does one find out after a stroke or heart attack? After on hypertension and heart failure meds? Where is the proof that high salt intake is beneficial? There is none. It doesn't make sense from any perspective. There is more than enough sodium and minerals in food. I don't care what WHO says. I care that your readers now think they can "salt their way to health".
From T. Colin Campbell, a nutrition scientist, July 2020:
"Salt also can be addictive when used in higher amounts, especially when used in processed and animal-based foods. Overconsumption increases risk of hypertension and risk of stroke (cardiovascular disease, CVD), especially for those who appear to have a genetic predisposition for these conditions. Efforts to reduce salt intake have been pursued by public health authorities for many years, both by individual countries and internationally by the World Health Organization (WHO)2. WHO recommends less than 5000 mg salt/day (2000 mg sodium); the U.K. is less than 3000 mg salt/day (1200 mg sodium) while the U.S. is less than 6000 mg/day. Those who use a diet of whole, plant-based foods, however, will avoid the large amounts of salt otherwise present in animal-based and processed foods used by most people. World salt consumption is about 10,000 mg/person/day. CVD risk declines (linearly) as salt intake decreases from 12,000 to 3,000 mg salt/day, but there is no evidence of lower disease risk below 3,000 mg salt/day. This means that a dietary regimen providing, for example, about 1,500 mg/day is well within this safe/healthy range, thus permitting reasonable addition of salt in the home (cooking and at the table), especially if it invites use of this diet by those unfamiliar with this rather new taste. Importantly, the amount of sodium one can consume is also affected by the degree to which one perspires. People who sweat because they are exercising require a higher sodium intake, and in fact can suffer serious health consequences with a sodium deficiency."
I agree that: "You need to look at the whole body of research and look at who did and paid for the studies. Look at the food industry now and historically. Look at the politics."
But it is the studies that are taken as fact above that need questioning. Look carefully at other studies and then the AHA recommendations that were cited. AHA...politics...who sponsors studies...the whole body of the research...Please consider that you need to look at the objective science and not this type of storyline narrative (as promoted by those who are NOT looking at the big picture biochemically and physiologically).
Also, consider the baseline assumptions that are inherent in the belief discussed: that everyone has high blood pressure, that genetic salt sensitivity is widespread, and that everyone has the dietary habits of processed junk food which can have additive effects of other types of chemical salts added to them; not just Sodium Chloride.
Check out the research papers to find that only 5% of the population is salt hypertensive; and that only men were in the studies.
And then , there are so many small, slight women with low to regular blood pressure who can be placed at serious risk with this recommendation. I am one of them. I was hospitalized with hyponatremia after running my first Boston Marathon with the low salt recommendation/ drinking water and Gatorade for hydration and electrolyte replacement as directed by these recommendations. I could have died and damaged my organs. I crave salt at times, because I do not eat processed food at all; I sweat from exercising more than the average female and have low to regular BP... I now know that I am a better authority of my bodies' needs for homeostasis having delved deeply into Biochemistry, Physiology and making sense of various research papers' veracity vs. believing one narrative.
I say all this for your re-consideration of your stance that 500 mg of salt per day is universally what is needed for basic metabolic function(this is too low for biochemical functions based on many research papers summarized by experts in the field). I encourage you to look up research on metabolic functions, biochemistry and biophysics that need sodium levels higher than this for optimum function, and also performance physiology. There are many experts with the opposite view of needing more than the teaspoon of recommended salt, based on lots of research papers, including Jack. Here are a few books to read, condensing mega-research: Endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig ("Metabolical") , Cardiovascular Research Scientist Dr. James DiNicolantonio ("The Salt Fix"), Dr. David Brownstein ("Salt your way to Health")-to name a few...
I don't doubt that you got into trouble eating low salt after running a marathon. The 500mg/day is for basic metabolic needs (that does not include running a marathon) and what is taught in nutrition textbooks but of course adjustments would need to be made for intense exercise and sweating. Years ago the incidence of hypertension was 1 in 3 and now it is reportedly 1 in 2 U.S. adults, with heart disease still the leading cause of death. It is not a rare condition and I don't know how anyone could know what percent of the population is salt sensitive because genes are not routinely (if ever) tested and in most people BP is not monitored closely enough to detect cause and effect. Most Americans do not eat the best and most nutritious foods and eat much more sodium than is healthy. Jack is not a nutrition scientist. Re the politics - I've been around a long time.
Maybe the problem with all the hypertension is not too much salt, but rather too little exercise? It might also explain the obesity problem in the US as well. Our bodies were not made for sitting around looking at screens all day. Yet no one considers that as the root of all our health problems. Easier to blame too much salt... I'd like to see the WHO recommend only 30 minutes of screen time per day.
Lack of exercise is a problem, but it is the salt that draws water that increases blood volume that causes increased blood pressure and strain on the heart and kidneys. It took a long time after years of requests by Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and others for the government and AHA to finally stand up to food industry pressure by issuing helpful sodium intake guidelines (gov and AHA guidelines are not the same, BTW, gov 2400mg/day and AHA 1500mg/day for certain groups). Now the public is being hoodwinked again. I do not think that Dr Jack and Dr. Brownstein are insincere. Both very good people. I just think they got this wrong and because it can cause harm, I spoke up.
The main point is this: WHO recommendation becomes a MANDATE universally for all to not exceed their one teaspoon a day; which would cause damage and death to people because it is 75% lower than the LOW healthy limit for regular metabolic processes for biochemical needs); it is 1 teaspoon in ALL the daily intake-not 1 teaspoon of added salt.
WHO: “The global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day, more than double the WHO recommendation of fewer than 5 grams of salt per day (one teaspoon)”.
Quoting this substack from the research papers he provided:" Their 5 grams (5,000 mg) is already 75% of the low healthy limit, whereas the average they report (10 grams, or 10,000 mg) is right in the middle of the healthiest sweet spot. "
There is so much more to add...to understand the whole picture would take more than a paragraph. It isn't just other types of chemical salts like Potassium; biochemically and biophysically, NaCl is so important in metabolic function that 5 grams is not enough for even sedentary bodies to function properly...voltage gated channels is one example. Don't forget: salt was currency, salt preserves food by deterring pathogen growth, salt is added to my Neti pot to clean my sinuses, Saline solution is life-giving and the oceans have minerals including salt, that many report rejuvenate their skin.
Also, as a Master Gardener/Bio/Chem & researcher in Nutrition, it is important to note that agricultural soils are depleted of many minerals, so it is important to do soil tests and grow as much of your food as you can for best nutrition. And have you looked at the new Tufts Nutritional Recommendations?
The deeper you get into the Biochemistry, the more it becomes apparent that the current standards of nutrition need a fresh overhaul....Drs. Bryan and Julie Walsh have some really terrific online classes, including Physiology, Biochemistry, Glucose Regulation, Mitochondria, Adrenal System, Blood Chemistry Interpretation...all based on scientific research paper studies; that have new Biomarkers of Nutrition based on the data from the research papers. I learned a lot. I do question sources. The books I listed provide up-to-date research from top-notch scientific minds to understand the nuances; of which there are so many, on why this WHO recommendation/mandate is very dangerous, as Dr. Lyons-Weiler has said, and detrimental to human life in the long run.
Thanks, Andrea. WHO always has issued recommendations. I agree they should not be mandating anything. (Trump should have gotten a lot of credit for taking the US out of WHO.) But as far as the sodium intake ideals you cite - a search through the literature reveals the topic is being debated and I do not believe those values as a final answer. I posted in a separate comment some other papers FYI. You know there is a SOS (salt, oil, sugar) free eating style now, also recommended by medical professionals. Learned about The True North Health Center from watching Chef AJ on youtube. https://www.healthpromoting.com/ This center has been prescribing SOS free eating for decades with excellent results - a huge contradiction of the claims made in Jack's post. Both extremes can't be true.
Only Universally applied Authoritarian Rules, not based on valid scientific research values-
No exceptions-
is a Far Cry from alternatives that people can choose.
This is what this Substack is about.
Stephanie Seneff, Gerald Pollack, Arthur Firstenberg, Tom Cowan, Dr. Sebi, Dr. Gerson are a few brilliant scientific minds discussing Biochemical and Bioelectrical systems in the body; and Barbara O'Neill , Naturopath has videos with clear instruction on these systems: https://www.beyondpatmos.org/watchvideo.aspx?videoid=627
Thank you, Toni...
In addition,
Many resources on James Roguskis' website re: WHO IHR Amendments and their push for MANDATES and ENFORCEMENT of their idea of Health-not mine...here's just the latest
https://jamesroguski.substack.com/p/interview-with-steve-kirsch
Meryl Nass also; and her cross posts are informative, too-this one from Dr. David Bell:
https://merylnass.substack.com/p/what-the-who-is-actually-proposing
And there are more...
Here is my thread about the connection between salt intake, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, humidity, mucosal layers, and respiratory diseases / influenza-like illness (ILI) in winter seasons:
https://twitter.com/B33Mello/status/1446548741981409296
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1446548741981409296.html
Great information Mello. Have missed seeing you on Substack latterly.
Doctors do push low salt diets, and this Substack is the first time I have seen salt promoted, their being no billions of dollars in be made from selling salt.
So, salt shortage= sickly. Now who benefits when people are sick?
Just as they have been completely wrong on just about everything covid.
Someone pointed out that the WHO's website says very little about nutrition and a lot about drugs. They are just drug pushers at the end of the day.
I am worried that our European bureaucrats will sign us up without question.
I have POTS...which I got, BTW, before covid was a thing, even though the media is hyping POTS suddenly as being caused by covid. People with POTS need extra salt and often take salt tablets. This blanket recommendation is stupid on its face.
Once a killer, always a killer.
Salt and fat are essential for survival, but not lab-produced salt and not corn or soy oil from GMO crops. Natural products, however, are becoming harder and harder to get, because product labeling has become quite lax, if I may use an understatement.
Nutritionists are making about 60 grand a year for misadvising patients about a healthy diet:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/to-eat-or-not-to-eat
They even tell people to use artificial sweeteners.
"Doctors" and NPs are often even worse:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/the-bermuda-triangle-of-medications
James Roguski argues that the WHO is working around the treaty route that would require consent of executive or legislative bodies.
"The method (silence procedure) by which amendments to the International Health Regulations are adopted requires NEITHER a Presidential signature NOR the advice and consent of the Senate.
Amendments were adopted in this manner on May 27, 2022.
This can easily happen again in 2023 or 2024."
https://jamesroguski.substack.com/p/silence-procedure?publication_id=746475&post_id=106098723&isFreemail=true
This is what I was going to say. I dearly wish it was true that the treaty is DOA. I’m very worried about the amendments.
Fortunately I take my health advice from my own body.
I use lots of salt. I've always had blood pressure on the low-normal side, and if I listened to those morons I'd likely have blood pressure on the corpse side.
Maybe close to 50 years ago, a friend was complaining about water retention. I told her to drink more water (within a normal range of consumption) and she looked at me like I was nuts. But she tried it and told me it worked like a miracle. Why? More water flushed out more sodium from her tissues and resolved the problem. I don't think I was a shamanic healer though; I'm sure I read that somewhere and we proved it was true.
A glass of water and a pinch of salt* is recommended for dehydration, especially chronic dehydration ('Your Body's Many Cries For Water' Dr Fereydoon Batmanghelidj)...
* I only use Himalaya Pink salt (which, strangely, tastes sweet if you use gtoo much on your foods)...
It's not from the Himalayas. It's from the Pakistani Punjab.
What advantage is using different salts, such as rock salt or sea salt or your pink salt. Or Maldon salt which looks nice.
A mystery to me, unless it's the flavour.
Grateful for elucidation.
Salt is salt. It all originates from the sea, even if you're mining it thousands of miles away.
Sure--various trace minerals will affect the flavor and fancy names will affect the price.
Me--I use Diamond Kosher Salt, I always have. Salts are milled differently so a tsp. of one won't be exactly equivalent to a tsp. of another (look up Morton Salt vs Diamond Kosher salt for an explanation of that).
With all them oil spills over the years--I'd rather stick with rock salt i.e. sea salt laid down a gazillion years ago.
Thank you for your reply SCA.
Hoping we won't need a doctor's prescription to buy salt.
Great article and you are exactly right. Giving the WHO increased power will promote great misery on the population as they impose nonsensical policies on the World due to their incompetence and corrupt character.
"What will it look like now that Biden has given some assurance to the WHO that the US will abide by their recommendations?"
A slave ship. It will look like a slave ship.
More proof that they aren’t even smart enough to be as evil as we think they are.
When the WHO recommends 5,000 IU vitamin D3 per day I may listen.
Maybe I’m way off track, but salt is used in food preservation. Maybe the WHO is taking the long view: control how much salt someone can purchase, control how much food someone can store, control their ability to feed themselves.
Lot of salt in fast food and processed snacks. How's that going to work out.
The establishment still won't give up on their cholesterol position, nor their insistence that "fat makes you fat" while ignoring carbs, and failing to differentiate between quality of food instead of micronutrients. But butting into policy is even worse than just recommending the wrong things.
If the WHO is so worried about our health, then why not ban sugary processed carbs and tobacco products?
Hey, Tedros, leave us kids alone!
All in all, you’re just another… (you fill in the blank; I’ll keep it out of the gutter.)
I need to send this to my 77 year old mother, who consumes almost no salt and who used to ride my butt for being a salt junkie.
This is a great article, once again. We appreciate you up here in Canada, Dr. Jack.
You seeing this, Jack? This person is going to have his or her 77 year old mother eat more salt. THIS is what I'm worried about with this post. NG
Salt sensitivity that can lead to high blood pressure is genetic, specifically determined by the AGT and ACE genes that are involved in the blood pressure response to sodium intake. Variations in these genes make a person have low, moderate or high sensitivity to salt. No one is testing people for variations in these genes. Following your advice to consume multiple grams of sodium per day is deadly for many. Humans only need 500 mg/sodium/day for basic metabolic function. 1500mg is the current AHA recommendation and it is a wise recommendation, not that most people follow it. For some, 1500mg is too much. For those with these gene variations and high blood pressure, avoiding adding sodium in the form of salt helps to keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Sodium attracts water and water increases blood volume which in turn increases blood pressure, potentially causing damage to the blood vessels, heart and kidneys. Those with genetic salt sensitivity do not metabolize sodium as efficiently as others and so the sodium builds up in the bloodstream attracting water that increases blood volume leading to hypertension. You should know better than to rely on one study. The recommended levels of salt intake in that study are ridiculous. You need to look at the whole body of research and look at who did and paid for the studies. Look at the food industry now and historically. Look at the politics. Modern food preparation adds a lot of salt and sugar to create addiction, but even natural salts are problematic for someone with genetic salt sensitivity. WHO's power is a separate issue.
The meta-analysis says otherwise. Did you read it?
Come walk in my shoes for 48 hours after eating the amount of salt recommended in that article and tell me what you think then. I explained that it is genetic. Are you ignoring what I wrote?
My article addresses that higher end salt intake is not for everyone, as Dr. Brownstein noted. The study shows that in general the WHO has the ranges wrong for most people. You are not most people. I hope you feel better soon.
That's not the point. You are brushing off the scientific aspect of salt sensitivity. Not interested? How does one know that higher end salt intake is for them? Are genes being tested? Are people being advised to monitor their blood pressure on this high salt diet? Does one find out after a stroke or heart attack? After on hypertension and heart failure meds? Where is the proof that high salt intake is beneficial? There is none. It doesn't make sense from any perspective. There is more than enough sodium and minerals in food. I don't care what WHO says. I care that your readers now think they can "salt their way to health".
From T. Colin Campbell, a nutrition scientist, July 2020:
"Salt also can be addictive when used in higher amounts, especially when used in processed and animal-based foods. Overconsumption increases risk of hypertension and risk of stroke (cardiovascular disease, CVD), especially for those who appear to have a genetic predisposition for these conditions. Efforts to reduce salt intake have been pursued by public health authorities for many years, both by individual countries and internationally by the World Health Organization (WHO)2. WHO recommends less than 5000 mg salt/day (2000 mg sodium); the U.K. is less than 3000 mg salt/day (1200 mg sodium) while the U.S. is less than 6000 mg/day. Those who use a diet of whole, plant-based foods, however, will avoid the large amounts of salt otherwise present in animal-based and processed foods used by most people. World salt consumption is about 10,000 mg/person/day. CVD risk declines (linearly) as salt intake decreases from 12,000 to 3,000 mg salt/day, but there is no evidence of lower disease risk below 3,000 mg salt/day. This means that a dietary regimen providing, for example, about 1,500 mg/day is well within this safe/healthy range, thus permitting reasonable addition of salt in the home (cooking and at the table), especially if it invites use of this diet by those unfamiliar with this rather new taste. Importantly, the amount of sodium one can consume is also affected by the degree to which one perspires. People who sweat because they are exercising require a higher sodium intake, and in fact can suffer serious health consequences with a sodium deficiency."
Linda-
I agree that: "You need to look at the whole body of research and look at who did and paid for the studies. Look at the food industry now and historically. Look at the politics."
But it is the studies that are taken as fact above that need questioning. Look carefully at other studies and then the AHA recommendations that were cited. AHA...politics...who sponsors studies...the whole body of the research...Please consider that you need to look at the objective science and not this type of storyline narrative (as promoted by those who are NOT looking at the big picture biochemically and physiologically).
Also, consider the baseline assumptions that are inherent in the belief discussed: that everyone has high blood pressure, that genetic salt sensitivity is widespread, and that everyone has the dietary habits of processed junk food which can have additive effects of other types of chemical salts added to them; not just Sodium Chloride.
Check out the research papers to find that only 5% of the population is salt hypertensive; and that only men were in the studies.
And then , there are so many small, slight women with low to regular blood pressure who can be placed at serious risk with this recommendation. I am one of them. I was hospitalized with hyponatremia after running my first Boston Marathon with the low salt recommendation/ drinking water and Gatorade for hydration and electrolyte replacement as directed by these recommendations. I could have died and damaged my organs. I crave salt at times, because I do not eat processed food at all; I sweat from exercising more than the average female and have low to regular BP... I now know that I am a better authority of my bodies' needs for homeostasis having delved deeply into Biochemistry, Physiology and making sense of various research papers' veracity vs. believing one narrative.
I say all this for your re-consideration of your stance that 500 mg of salt per day is universally what is needed for basic metabolic function(this is too low for biochemical functions based on many research papers summarized by experts in the field). I encourage you to look up research on metabolic functions, biochemistry and biophysics that need sodium levels higher than this for optimum function, and also performance physiology. There are many experts with the opposite view of needing more than the teaspoon of recommended salt, based on lots of research papers, including Jack. Here are a few books to read, condensing mega-research: Endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig ("Metabolical") , Cardiovascular Research Scientist Dr. James DiNicolantonio ("The Salt Fix"), Dr. David Brownstein ("Salt your way to Health")-to name a few...
I don't doubt that you got into trouble eating low salt after running a marathon. The 500mg/day is for basic metabolic needs (that does not include running a marathon) and what is taught in nutrition textbooks but of course adjustments would need to be made for intense exercise and sweating. Years ago the incidence of hypertension was 1 in 3 and now it is reportedly 1 in 2 U.S. adults, with heart disease still the leading cause of death. It is not a rare condition and I don't know how anyone could know what percent of the population is salt sensitive because genes are not routinely (if ever) tested and in most people BP is not monitored closely enough to detect cause and effect. Most Americans do not eat the best and most nutritious foods and eat much more sodium than is healthy. Jack is not a nutrition scientist. Re the politics - I've been around a long time.
Maybe the problem with all the hypertension is not too much salt, but rather too little exercise? It might also explain the obesity problem in the US as well. Our bodies were not made for sitting around looking at screens all day. Yet no one considers that as the root of all our health problems. Easier to blame too much salt... I'd like to see the WHO recommend only 30 minutes of screen time per day.
Possibly too little potassium?
Good point. Potassium is a factor too. Helps the body process sodium. Most people do not eat enough. In fruits and vegetables. 4 gms/day
Check out too much Phosphorous(lots in processed food)...
Lack of exercise is a problem, but it is the salt that draws water that increases blood volume that causes increased blood pressure and strain on the heart and kidneys. It took a long time after years of requests by Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and others for the government and AHA to finally stand up to food industry pressure by issuing helpful sodium intake guidelines (gov and AHA guidelines are not the same, BTW, gov 2400mg/day and AHA 1500mg/day for certain groups). Now the public is being hoodwinked again. I do not think that Dr Jack and Dr. Brownstein are insincere. Both very good people. I just think they got this wrong and because it can cause harm, I spoke up.
Linda:
The main point is this: WHO recommendation becomes a MANDATE universally for all to not exceed their one teaspoon a day; which would cause damage and death to people because it is 75% lower than the LOW healthy limit for regular metabolic processes for biochemical needs); it is 1 teaspoon in ALL the daily intake-not 1 teaspoon of added salt.
WHO: “The global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day, more than double the WHO recommendation of fewer than 5 grams of salt per day (one teaspoon)”.
Quoting this substack from the research papers he provided:" Their 5 grams (5,000 mg) is already 75% of the low healthy limit, whereas the average they report (10 grams, or 10,000 mg) is right in the middle of the healthiest sweet spot. "
There is so much more to add...to understand the whole picture would take more than a paragraph. It isn't just other types of chemical salts like Potassium; biochemically and biophysically, NaCl is so important in metabolic function that 5 grams is not enough for even sedentary bodies to function properly...voltage gated channels is one example. Don't forget: salt was currency, salt preserves food by deterring pathogen growth, salt is added to my Neti pot to clean my sinuses, Saline solution is life-giving and the oceans have minerals including salt, that many report rejuvenate their skin.
Also, as a Master Gardener/Bio/Chem & researcher in Nutrition, it is important to note that agricultural soils are depleted of many minerals, so it is important to do soil tests and grow as much of your food as you can for best nutrition. And have you looked at the new Tufts Nutritional Recommendations?
The deeper you get into the Biochemistry, the more it becomes apparent that the current standards of nutrition need a fresh overhaul....Drs. Bryan and Julie Walsh have some really terrific online classes, including Physiology, Biochemistry, Glucose Regulation, Mitochondria, Adrenal System, Blood Chemistry Interpretation...all based on scientific research paper studies; that have new Biomarkers of Nutrition based on the data from the research papers. I learned a lot. I do question sources. The books I listed provide up-to-date research from top-notch scientific minds to understand the nuances; of which there are so many, on why this WHO recommendation/mandate is very dangerous, as Dr. Lyons-Weiler has said, and detrimental to human life in the long run.
Thanks, Andrea. WHO always has issued recommendations. I agree they should not be mandating anything. (Trump should have gotten a lot of credit for taking the US out of WHO.) But as far as the sodium intake ideals you cite - a search through the literature reveals the topic is being debated and I do not believe those values as a final answer. I posted in a separate comment some other papers FYI. You know there is a SOS (salt, oil, sugar) free eating style now, also recommended by medical professionals. Learned about The True North Health Center from watching Chef AJ on youtube. https://www.healthpromoting.com/ This center has been prescribing SOS free eating for decades with excellent results - a huge contradiction of the claims made in Jack's post. Both extremes can't be true.
WHO recommendations as Mandates-
Enforcement of Nation States who are in the WHO-
Individual Rights taken away-
Only Universally applied Authoritarian Rules, not based on valid scientific research values-
No exceptions-
is a Far Cry from alternatives that people can choose.
This is what this Substack is about.
Stephanie Seneff, Gerald Pollack, Arthur Firstenberg, Tom Cowan, Dr. Sebi, Dr. Gerson are a few brilliant scientific minds discussing Biochemical and Bioelectrical systems in the body; and Barbara O'Neill , Naturopath has videos with clear instruction on these systems: https://www.beyondpatmos.org/watchvideo.aspx?videoid=627