Salt Is A Killer
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world.
This is a clue.
My question is what is the leading killer in the world?
Following this logic, researchers at the World Nutrition Meeting said "salt".
Salt is often added to food and this can help lead to high blood pressure.
The British Medical Journal puts it a different way. They say that reducing salt intake by 2000 milligrams could prevent four million deaths per year from cardiovascular disease.
So how much salt should you consume each day? Depending on your health and who you read it is between 1500-2300 milligrams per day.
As for leading causes of salt in the diet, the obvious leaders are potato chips and snacks but a surprising source is bread. If you eat out a great deal -- especially at fast food restaurants you are also getting too much salt.
