Reducing salt in the diet can have significant effects on the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease. A study by researchers at Harvard Medical School in the US have, for the first time, shown a long term connection between high salt intake and heart attacks and strokes.

Small reductions in salt intake can reduce the risk of fatal heart attack by as much as a quarter. The study reported in the British Medical Journal(1) included more that 3,000 volunteers with high-normal blood pressure who, over a 3 to 4 year period, reduced their salt intake by approximately one-quarter to one-third. They were then followed for up to ten years after the end of the trial.

The results showed that these individuals were 25 per cent less likely to have experienced a heart attack or stroke than those in a control group. They also reduced their chance of a premature death by 20 per cent.

The researchers found that the benefits from reducing salt intake were not limited to just those with higher than normal blood pressure but also to people with low and normal blood pressure. It is suggested that the lower the salt intake, the greater the benefits.

Adding salt increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It is suspected that adding salt also promotes ageing of the heart.

So how can we cut the amount of salt we consume?

Most of us eat more salt than we realise. While we may not use the salt shaker much, it is often the 'hidden' salt in processed foods, fast foods and restaurant meals that are the main source of the salt that we consume. In fact, three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food that we buy.

A person on an average Western diet consumes approximately three times as much salt as is healthy every day. This is the equivalent of 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt instead of just one teaspoon (2,400mg) as recommended for adults daily.

Checking labels for‘salt’, ‘sodium’, ‘soda’ and the symbol ‘Na’ and switching to lower or no salt alternatives will go some way in reducing the amount of salt you consume. Try substituting spices and herbs for salt to enhance the taste of your food. Also choosing fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and low-fat dairy foods over processed and pre-packaged foods will ensure that not only are you looking after your heart but improving your health generally

The good news is that your preference for salt can decrease after just three months. In other words, you no longer notice any difference in the taste of food with the reduction in the salt levels.

(1) BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39147.604896.55 (published 20 April 2007)

Source: Healthnews.com

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Rae Wood,

Healthnews.com

Through numerous studies, research is adding weight to the old adage that laughter is the best medicine! Laughing often and heartily releases negative emotions, strengthens the immune system, reduces stress, improves digestion and can even help you to lose weight. woman laughing

Having laughter and humour in you life not only gives you pleasure and happiness but is a good aerobic exercise for the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Laughter expands the lungs forcing more oxygen-enriched blood into the body’s cells, stimulating the heart and circulation and relaxing muscles.

A good laugh additionally promotes healing through the blocking of stress hormones such as cortisone and adrenaline. Furthermore serotonin the ‘happiness’ hormone is secreted, thus giving the brain a double pleasure boost. Laughter also improves stress coping mechanisms and increases the ability to relax through the release of tension and negative emotions. Through relaxing the body laughter reduces the risk of high blood pressure and strokes. The more often you laugh the greater the health benefits.

The use of humour to enhance the body’s immune system seems, from credible clinical evidence, to activate T-Cells which attack cancer cells and viruses in the body.

Laughter is also beneficial to your mental abilities as it stimulates both hemispheres of the brain. A good hearty laugh repairs damage done by constant stress which results in the constriction of blood flow between the two sides of the brain. In other words, laughter allows the brain to do more ‘whole’ of brain work. Taking time out for a laugh and a joke with colleagues at work is therefore not a time waster as it boosts creativity, problem-solving and information retention.

Therefore to benefit your mind and your body surround yourself with people who make you laugh and try and see the funny side of everyday challenges and situations that you face. You will then not only live longer but be happier as a result.

Did you hear the one about….

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