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+--- Thread: Article Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes (/thread-15577.html)
Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes - C C - Mar 13, 2024
https://theconversation.com/salty-foods-are-making-people-sick-in-part-by-poisoning-their-microbiomes-224591
EXCERPTS: Today, salt has become ubiquitous and highly concentrated in increasingly processed diets. The evidence has mounted that too much salt – specifically the sodium chloride added to preserve and enhance the flavor of many highly processed foods – is making people sick. It can cause high blood pressure and contribute to heart attacks and stroke. It is also associated with an increased risk of developing stomach and colon cancer, Ménière’s disease, osteoporosis and obesity.
How might a substance previously thought worth its weight in gold have transformed into something many medical institutions consider a key predictor of disease?
[...] Sodium is connected to health outcomes other than blood pressure, and your microbiome may be playing a role here, too.
High sodium diets and higher sodium levels in stool are significantly linked to metabolic disorders, including elevated blood sugar, fatty liver disease and weight gain. In fact, one study estimated that for every one gram per day increase in dietary sodium, there is a 15% increased risk of obesity.
[...] With the exception of certain organisms that thrive in salt called halophiles, high levels of salt can poison just about any microbe, even ones your body wants to keep around. This is why people have been using salt for a long time to preserve food and keep unwanted bacteria away.
But modern diets often have too much sodium. According to the World Health Organization, healthy consumption amounts to less than 2,000 milligrams per day for the average adult. The global mean intake of 4,310 milligrams of sodium has likely increased the amount of salt in the gut over healthy levels... (MORE - missing details)