Sodium intake correlates positively with life expectancy and inversely with all-cause mortality

[Jamsey]

Sodium intake, life expectancy, and all-cause mortality - PubMed

Our observation of sodium intake correlating positively with life expectancy and inversely with all-cause mortality worldwide and in high-income countries argues against dietary sodium intake being a culprit of curtailing life span or a risk factor for premature death. These data are...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“Among the 181 countries included in this analysis, we found a positive correlation between sodium intake and healthy life expectancy at birth (β = 2.6 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.66, P < 0.001), as well as healthy life expectancy at age 60 (β = 0.3 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.60, P = 0.048) but not for death due to non-communicable diseases (β = 17 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.43, P = 0.100).”

“Conversely, all-cause mortality correlated inversely with sodium intake (β = -131 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.60, P < 0.001).”

“In a sensitivity analysis restricted to 46 countries in the highest income class, sodium intake continued to correlate positively with healthy life expectancy at birth (β = 3.4 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.53, P < 0.001) and inversely with all-cause mortality (β = -168 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.50, P < 0.001).”

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I put salt on everything, even in my coffee and in my milkshakes. Salt is a good anti-histamine too.

 

[Limon9]

"We can’t be entirely sure of the prevalence of hypertension in Europe in the 1500s to the 1800s—the blood pressure cuff was not invented until the late 1800s, after all—but we do know that the prevalence of hypertension in the early 1900s in the United States was estimated at 5 to 10 percent of the population.9 In 1939, in Chicago, the prevalence of hypertension in adults was just 11 to 13 percent. That figure then doubled to 25 percent by 1975, before finally reaching 31 percent in 2004.10 This figure has continued to edge upward, and as of 2014, one out of every three adults in the United States has hypertension.11 Stepping back from this data, we can generalize and say that the prevalence of hypertension in the United States in the first half of the 1900s was around 10 percent. However, the prevalence of hypertension is now three times as high12—despite salt intake remaining remarkably stable over the last fifty years.13 Clearly, our salt intake did not parallel the rise in the prevalence of hypertension in the United States during the last half of the twentieth century. But what about heart disease? We already know that salt intake was extremely high in Europe during the 1500s, somewhere between 40 and 100 grams of salt per day. If salt caused heart disease—chest pain leading to sudden death—and Europeans were consuming around 40 grams of salt per day in the 1500s,14 there should have been hundreds of thousands of reports of heart disease during this time. Yet the first report did not occur until the mid-1600s.15 And the rates of heart disease only jumped to critical levels in the early 1900s. The rise of chronic disease simply does not parallel the rise of salt consumption—if anything, it’s inversely proportional."

 

[Mauritio]

Sodium intake, life expectancy, and all-cause mortality - PubMed

Our observation of sodium intake correlating positively with life expectancy and inversely with all-cause mortality worldwide and in high-income countries argues against dietary sodium intake being a culprit of curtailing life span or a risk factor for premature death. These data are...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“Among the 181 countries included in this analysis, we found a positive correlation between sodium intake and healthy life expectancy at birth (β = 2.6 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.66, P < 0.001), as well as healthy life expectancy at age 60 (β = 0.3 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.60, P = 0.048) but not for death due to non-communicable diseases (β = 17 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.43, P = 0.100).”

“Conversely, all-cause mortality correlated inversely with sodium intake (β = -131 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.60, P < 0.001).”

“In a sensitivity analysis restricted to 46 countries in the highest income class, sodium intake continued to correlate positively with healthy life expectancy at birth (β = 3.4 years/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.53, P < 0.001) and inversely with all-cause mortality (β = -168 events/g of daily sodium intake, R2 = 0.50, P < 0.001).”

Was there a most effective dose or was it "the more the better"?

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Was there a most effective dose or was it "the more the better"?

As with anything, I don’t imagine it is going to the “more the better”, but instead, let your cravings or taste be your guide.

 

[Jamsey]

Was there a most effective dose or was it "the more the better"?

Sodium intake, life expectancy, and all-cause mortality

Since dietary sodium intake has been identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death, a high sodium intake can be expected to curtail life span. We tested this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between sodium intake and ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

According to this chart, the more the better, but seems to be diminishing returns past about 4-5g of sodium daily.

 

[Limon9]

Excessive salt intake seems to depress aldosterone and adrenaline at the expense of enhanced cortisol release. But... needs can vary widely, so having a subtle sense of one's taste for it is best.

 

[Mauritio]

Sodium intake, life expectancy, and all-cause mortality

Since dietary sodium intake has been identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death, a high sodium intake can be expected to curtail life span. We tested this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between sodium intake and ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

According to this chart, the more the better, but seems to be diminishing returns past about 4-5g of sodium daily.

Thanks, it seems like the most benefits come from avoiding salt deficiency and not mega doses of salt as 4-5 g is not that much .

I remember there was another observational study from the UK involving 10s of thousands of people and they found no adverse health effects even from the highest salt dose (6g IIIRC).

 

[Mauritio]

Excessive salt intake seems to depress aldosterone and adrenaline at the expense of enhanced cortisol release. But... needs can vary widely, so having a subtle sense of one's taste for it is best.

Also decreases serotonin and increases dopamine

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

it seems like the most benefits comes from avoiding salt deficiency

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner here!

 

[Jamsey]

Excessive salt intake seems to depress aldosterone and adrenaline at the expense of enhanced cortisol release. But... needs can vary widely, so having a subtle sense of one's taste for it is best.

Haidut has talked about this before

That's certainly a possibility. Another one is that aldosterone and cortisol may have an inverse relationship since they both bind to the same "receptors" and when aldosterone is lowered by the high salt then cortisol rises to compensate. But I like the energetic deficit explanation more.

I tend to side with the energetic deficit argument as well. You can either get energy from glucose or fatty acids. In an energetic deficit, this means your body can raise adrenaline for fatty acids or cortisol for sugar. Therefore, if you raise metabolism and lower adrenaline with salt, energy has to come from somewhere, which can be sugar/fat intake or cortisol release to break down muscle for sugar.

 

[Mauritio]

As with anything, I don’t imagine it is going to the “more the better”, but instead, let your cravings or taste be your guide.

Yeah the benefits seem to even out . I could imagine them going down at some point. But around 6g per day seems very safe /beneficial.

 

[Jamsey]

Thanks, it seems like the most benefits come from avoiding salt deficiency and not mega doses of salt as 4-5 g is not that much .

I remember there was another observational study from the UK involving 10s of thousands of people and they found no adverse health effects even from the highest salt dose (6g IIIRC).

I wasn’t sure if you noticed it was 4-5g of sodium not salt so I thought I’d point it out. I do agree that most of the benefits seem to come in the range of around 5-10g of salt daily. But I don’t think there are many downsides to higher intake, especially in times of stress.

 

[Mauritio]

I wasn’t sure if you noticed it was 4-5g of sodium not salt so I thought I’d point it out. I do agree that most of the benefits seem to come in the range of around 5-10g of salt daily. But I don’t think there are many downsides to higher intake, especially in times of stress.

Oh thanks I didnt notice. So more salt,great !

Yeah I agree. When my health was worse, low, continuous doses of salt was one of the best things for me, as per the @theLaw . It was just a pain to keep chugging down salt every hour. But it certainly has therapeutic potential.

Salt was also one of the few things that helped with high altitude sickness.

 

[LadyRae]

Very cool. My family thinks I'm weird for salting my melon... (Fruit, not my head). Since I cut out most processed foods and I rarely eat out, I noticed that I will feel loopy if I don't salt everything...

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Very cool. My family thinks I'm weird for salting my melon... (Fruit, not my head). Since I cut out most processed foods and I rarely eat out, I noticed that I will feel loopy if I don't salt everything...

Oh yeah salted watermelon too! Try this amazing combo, salted vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of really good olive oil!

 

[LadyRae]

Oh yeah salted watermelon too! Try this amazing combo, salted vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of really good olive oil!

Oh gawd, I don't think I could handle it pouring olive oil over ice cream ... But I do love any salted caramel or seasalt dessert.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Here is another salty “mind bender”! I buy frozen gluten free donuts and get them warm and tender in the microwave then drizzle on maple butter and top them with fresh fried (and refried of course in refined coconut oil) ) good salty bacon pieces. It is my quick holiday offering “go to” when I don’t feel like cooking.

 

[GreenPea]

Hi - my first post here.
Generously salting my food has had big positive impact on my health (compared with history of thinking I needed to hold back on adding 'bad' salt to meals). Used to struggle with dizziness, low blood pressure - no issues now, my blood pressure is good. I also now have warm extremities and my mood feels solid and stable too, and I don't get stressed as easily as I used to. I don't know if these latter changes are due to increased salt - but I have a sense that they are.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Oh gawd, I don't think I could handle it pouring olive oil over ice cream ... But I do love any salted caramel or seasalt dessert.

Don’t be, as Korven said in another thread a few minutes ago, a “negative Nancy” now LadyRae! It is just a tiny teaspoon. Remember what they say, don’t knock it till you try it