| • |
The Department of Health's own National Diet and Nutrition Survey,
published in 2004, concluded that there is no significant effect on
the blood pressure of healthy people from eating salt. |
| • |
The 1988 Intersalt study is one of the prime motivators for the
current campaign, yet it failed to prove its own primary hypothesis
that systolic blood pressure is associated directly with sodium excretion.
|
| • |
Several large-scale intervention studies have shown that restriction
of sodium in the diet has no effect on diastolic blood pressure and
only a minimal effect on systolic blood pressure. |
| • |
The National Health Service's own website includes an evaluation
of the evidence base for reduction of salt in the diet which concludes
that the calculations are "theoretical" and that the authors
have "over-emphasised" a key section. The reviewers suggest
that further research is needed. |
| • |
Since 1995, 10 studies in the United States have reported on whether
low sodium diets produce health benefits. All 10 indicate that, among
the general population, lower sodium diets don't produce health benefits.
In fact, not a single study has ever shown improved health outcomes
for broad populations on reduced sodium diets. |
Links to key papers, together with further information, photographs
and a sound interview with a UK expert on hypertension are available from
www.saltsense.co.uk.
