If you are currently suffering from a debilitating fast food addiction, you may now have a reason to be slightly less ashamed of yourself.  Much to the chagrin of the status quo, the findings of an 8 year long study was recently posted in a prestigious medical journal, suggesting that a low-salt diet can actually increase your risk of heart disease. 

The test, published in the May issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, featured over 3,500 European and Russian test subjects, all roughly 40 years old at the time the test began.  The amount of salt excretion was measured in urine samples, which is thought to be the most accurate method of salt intake given the fact that measuring it in the food prior to ingestion would be near impossible.  After 8 years, 84 of the subjects had died from cardiovascular related ailments.  Surprisingly, the top 33% of salt consumers, that ingested around 6 grams of salt a day, suffered only 10 deaths.  The median group, which ingested roughly 4 grams per day, accounted for 24 of the total deaths.  Most shocking of all, the lowest (or what we would normally call the “healthiest”) demographic of salt consumers, made up 50 of the 84 deaths. 

If you’re blinded by the letters B and S flashing in your mind right now, you’re not alone.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relieved itself of its customarily objective stance on these sorts of issues, claiming that there are simply too many flaws in the study.  Amongst not having enough test subjects, they claimed that a large portion of the 50 subjects who died while on a low-salt diet were also frequent smokers.  They also claimed that the subjects were too young, since a large number of cardiovascular related deaths occur beyond the 50 year old mark.   

However, fast food addicts aren’t the only ones rejoicing… many feel vindicated by these new findings, including (although not surprisingly) the Salt Institute, which lauds salt for its ability to moderate insulin levels and prevent the buildup of a resistance that could lead to diabetes.

Regardless of which side you’re on, both sides seem to agree that limiting your salt intake is not a very good method of preventing heart disease anyway.  Most experts say that exercise and as little as a 5% loss of body fat can considerably reduce your risk of developing hypertension, as well as cutting back on animal fats, sweets, and sugars in your diet. 

So, what do you think?  Do you think that the CDC and all the other opponents of this test are simply reactionaries working to protect the status quo, or are we seeing a legitimate breakthrough in medicine?

Eric Hirota is a personal trainer for LAVA Sport & Fitness in San Diego, CA. He specializes in plyometrics and abdominal workouts. 

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