Why does salt intake matter

That left prisons. This month, the group published an editorial in the journal Hypertension proposing to study low-sodium diets in prisoners. Jones says he is currently in discussion with a private-prison management company to conduct an initial pilot study. He wanted to publish the proposed research to spark a conversation on the myriad concerns—ethical and logistical—that come with conducting research in prisons.

There are reasons to be cautious about research in prisons, which has a long and sometimes ugly history. Reynolds, Dow Chemical, the US Army, major pharmaceutical companies, and other sponsors conducted a wide variety of research on prisoners—a captive, vulnerable, and easily accessible population.

The s brought congressional hearings on protections for human subjects and the passage of the National Research Act, both of which were spurred by public outcry after the Tuskegee study. Prisoners are now considered a vulnerable population—along with children, pregnant women, and the mentally disabled—who required special protections in research. Prisoners who participate in a study so they can get access to health care or because they believe they must do so to stay in the good graces of correctional officers may not be choosing freely.

The Department of Health and Human Services currently restricts federally funded research in prisons to five categories: 1 studying incarceration or criminal behavior itself, 2 studying prisons as institutions, 3 studying conditions that disproportionately affect prisoners like drug addiction or hepatitis, 4 epidemiology research on prevalence and risk factors of disease, and 5 research that can help the prisoners being studied.

The salt-intake study, Jones says, falls in the last category. The results could inform salt guidelines for both what average people should eat and what people are fed in prisons. The pilot study will be privately funded, he says, but they hope to seek federal funding for a larger study at several different prison sites, ideally federal prisons for the sake of standardization.

Each site will be randomly assigned to feed inmates either their current diet or a low-sodium diet of less than 2, milligrams per day, as recommended by the American Heart Association. But is it, in fact, okay to take salt away from an entire prison and serve food that most people would think is bland, if healthy? The average American eats 3, milligrams of sodium per day. Recent Blog Articles. Health news headlines can be deceiving. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin.

Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals. A conversation about reducing the harms of social media. Menopause and memory: Know the facts. How to get your child to put away toys. Is a common pain reliever safe during pregnancy? Staying Healthy The trouble with excess salt October 1, Research health conditions Check your symptoms Prepare for a doctor's visit or test Find the best treatments and procedures for you Explore options for better nutrition and exercise Learn more about the many benefits and features of joining Harvard Health Online ».

Sign Me Up. Nevertheless, salt affects people differently and may not lead to adverse health effects for everyone. Otherwise, it seems that those who are salt-sensitive or have high blood pressure are the most likely to benefit from a low-salt diet.

For most, sodium intake around the recommended one teaspoon 6 grams per day is ideal. Official sodium recommendations have been controversial. This article explains the importance of sodium, potential risks of over- or underconsumption….

Ingesting too much salt can have unpleasant effects, both in the short and long term. This article discusses what happens in your body if you eat too…. It's often recommended to reduce sodium to lower blood pressure.

Here are 6 reasons why restricting sodium too much can be harmful. For many people, one of the best parts about traveling is getting to explore the local cuisines.

This article looks at 10 of the healthiest cuisines…. This is a detailed article about sugar alcohols and their health effects. They have several health benefits but can also cause digestive problems. Phenylalanine is an amino acid that your body uses to make important molecules.

This article reviews phenylalanine benefits, side effects, and sources. Getting your meals delivered can save major time on meal prep. Numerous foods are marketed as healthy but contain hidden ingredients. Here are 14 "health foods" that aren't as nutritious as you thought. If you're considering adding or removing meat from your diet, you may wonder whether meat is healthy. This article explores the environmental and….

For optimal health, it's a good idea to choose the foods that contain the most nutrients. Here are the 11 most nutrient-dense foods on earth. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Salt is a naturally occurring compound that is commonly used to season food. Salt Plays an Important Role in the Body. Share on Pinterest.

Summary: Increased salt intake has been associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer, though further research is needed to understand this relationship.

Summary: Studies show that decreasing salt intake may reduce blood pressure, especially in those who are salt-sensitive or have high blood pressure. However, the effect of salt on the risk of heart disease and death may vary for certain groups.

Summary: Studies show that a low-salt diet may not decrease the risk of heart disease or death for the general population, although some groups may respond to salt differently.