Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
November 30th, 2018

Does Salt Cause Hypertension or Help Reverse It?

It’s long been taught that you need to eliminate added salt, and watch the sodium content of foods, if you have high blood pressure, right?

Recent research is actually putting that notion into question.

I recently read (listened to) the book, The Salt Fix, by Dr. James J. DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist, doctor of pharmacy, the associate editor of British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) Open Heart, and the author or coauthor of approximately 200 publications in medical literature.

Dr. DiNicolantonio contends that, and shows research that supports, too little salt in the diet can shift the body into semi-starvation mode and cause insulin resistance. This may even cause people to absorb twice as much fat for every gram consumed. He also cites research that concludes that too little salt in certain populations can actually increase blood pressure and resting heart rate.

In The Salt Fix, Dr. DiNicolantonio says we should be demonizing sugar, not salt, in the etiology of chronic disease.

I don’t always agree with his diet recommendations, but I find the research fascinating.

Let’s discuss on the Facebook group.

Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fix-Experts-Wrong-Eating/dp/0451496965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543498350&sr=8-1&keywords=the+salt+fix