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| POSTED 12/11/2006 |
Don't Pass the Salt Shaker |
64 percent of adults and 16 percent of children in the United States are now considered obese. Salt intake, besides taking in more calories than you burn, leads to weight gain and therefore an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and its associated health consequences, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.
Salt can exert its effect indirectly with the growing consumption of soft drinks, which are high in sodium. The salt intake per American has increased since the mid-1980s from 10.2 grams per day to more than 15 grams per day, a 55 percent rise.
In Finland, a 30 to 35 percent decrease in salt intake during the last 30 years has reduced both stroke and coronary heart disease mortality 75 to 80 percent.
Date Posted: December 11, 2006 |
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