| Below is an abstract of
a study published in the March 1998 issue of The Lancet. For as many years as I
can remember sodium has been labeled a "avoid at all cost" mineral. We have
always believed this to be blown way out of proportion and this resent study along with
quite a few others is beginning to dispel the "salt is a killer myth". Sodium
plays an important role in building muscle, increasing strength, optimum cell hydration,
amino acid transport, and prevention of training related soft tissue injuries - just to
name a few. We believe the use of sodium can play a major role in obtaining your fitness
goals.
BACKGROUND: Population-wide restriction of dietary sodium has been
recommended. However, little evidence directly links sodium intake to morbidity and
mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the relation of sodium intake to subsequent
all-cause and cardiovascular-disease (CVD) mortality in a general population.
METHODS: The first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
established baseline information during 1971-75 in a representative sample of 20729 US
adults (aged 25-75). 11348 underwent medical examination and nutritional examination based
on 24 h recall. Two had no data on sodium intake available. Vital status at June 30, 1992,
was obtained for the 11346 participants through interview, tracing, and searches of the
national death index. Mortality was examined in sex-specific quartiles of sodium intake,
calorie intake, and sodium/calorie ratio.Multiple regression analyses were done to assess
the relations with mortality.
FINDINGS: There were 3923 deaths, of which 1970 were due to CVD.
All-cause mortality (per 1000 person-years; adjusted for age and sex) was inversely
associated with sex-specific quartiles of sodium intake (lowest to highest quartile 23.18
to 19.01, p<0.0001) and total calorie intake (25.03 to 18.40, p<0.0001) and showed a
weak positive association with quartiles of sodium/calorie ratio (20.27 to 21.71, p=0.14).
The pattern for CVD mortality was similar (sodium 11.80 to 9.60, p<0.0019; calories
12.80 to 8.94, p<0.0002; sodium/calorie ratio 9.73 to 11.35, p=0.017). In Cox multiple
regression analysis, sodium intake was inversely associated with all-cause (p=0.0069) and
CVD mortality (p=0.086) and sodium/calorie ratio was directly associated with all-cause
(p=0.0004) and CVD mortality (p=0.0056). By contrast, calorie intake in the presence of
the two measures of sodium intake was not independently associated with mortality
(all-cause p=0.86; CVD p=0.74). Analysis restricted to participants with no history of CVD
at baseline gave similar results.
INTERPRETATION: This observational study does not justify any
particular dietary recommendation. Specifically, these results do not
support current recommendations for routine reduction of sodium consumption,
nor do they justify advice to increase salt intake or to decrease its concentration in the
diet.
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