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Show 1038: Should You Be Cutting the Salt in Your Diet?

If you are not cutting the salt you eat to the very low levels recommended by the American Heart Association, don't feel bad. A bit more might be better.
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Should You Be Cutting the Salt in Your Diet?

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Americans have been admonished to reduce the amount of sodium in our food. In fact, the American Heart Association has said that all of us should be cutting the salt we eat and aiming for 1500 mg of sodium daily, if not less. That is an amount that is achieved by only a few hardy souls.

Cutting the Salt:

Should you feel bad that you aren’t cutting the salt level in your diet so drastically? Maybe not. We talk with Dr. Andrew Mente, lead investigator on a large analysis recently published in The Lancet. The data show that people are more likely to survive at daily sodium intakes between 3,000 and 6,000 mg/day. That’s close to what many of us eat.

Cell Phones and Cancer?

What about the dangers of cell phones? A recent rat study suggested that exposure to cell phone radiation could be risky. What does it mean for humans?

Your Summer First Aid Kit:

With summer on the way, it is time to get the first aid kit ready. What do you keep in yours?

We are interested in your stories and questions about low-sodium diets, cell phone hazards and first aid for summer. Ask your question or share your story: Call 888-472-3366 between 7 and 8 am EDT on June 11, 2016 or email radio@peoplespharmacy.com

This Week’s Guests:

Andrew Mente, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University. His research was published in The Lancet, May 20, 2016.

John Bucher, PhD, is Associate Director of the National Toxicology Program (NTP). The report from the NTP is here.

Listen to the Podcast:

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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