Can You Increase Your Lifespan By Eating Correctly, NotSmoking, Not Drinking Alcohol And Exercising?

Researchers estimate that 10 to 25 percent of the population may be salt-sensitive. Among those with diagnosed hypertension, the number rises to 60 percent.

There can be too much of a good thing. Drinking water to excess leads to water intoxication, referred to as hyponatremia. As you consume water, blood plasma increases and dilutes the salt content of the blood. While this is happening, you lose more salt by sweating. Consequently the amount of salt available to the body tissues decreases and over time, the loss interferes with brain, heart and muscle functions. Water intoxication is more commonly found in endurance athletes

Professor F�sgen presented his findings at the European Geriatrics Congress in Vienna, which ended yesterday (September 19). They show that the symptoms of hyponatraemia (low sodium level in the blood), which are tiredness, difficulty in concentrating and loss of balance, can develop into confusion and even coma if left untreated.

His studies show that up to 10 per cent of older people suffer from sub-acute sodium deficiency, which can result in problems such as nervous disposition, hallucinations, muscle cramps and incontinence.

Professor F�sgen explained; "Sodium deficiency is common for elderly people but it is often not recognized. Many older people are not aware of the danger of a low salt diet and try to reduce their consumption of salt because they assume it is healthy to do so."

According to a survey conducted by Professor F�sgen, as part of his research, 80 per cent of elderly people try to consume salt sparingly, thinking that too much salt causes high blood pressure. Professor F�sgen maintains that a low salt diet is not appropriate for the majority of elderly people.

"We said earlier this week that In the case of the elderly, cutting salt might be dangerous, especially in the summer months. Because they tend to drink less and are less acclimatised to hot weather, salt lost through sweat is not replaced. Their blood pressure rises, so putting added strain on their hearts," says the SMA's general secretary, Peter Sherratt.

"We remain convinced that the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are ignoring inconvenient evidence in pursuit of a campaign that unfairly targets one of life�s essentials.

I think its also important to point out that many healthy choices actually improve how you feel on a daily basis (thereby not just increasing quality but quantity as well).

Quote:

What happens is you get high blood pressure from the salt

from what I have seen only a small minority of people are sensitive to salt, as in their body does not automatically kick out all unneeded salt with no ill effects. Those people should watch how much salt they eat. We have food labels so that they can do this. The food Nazis however should leave us all the **** alone, their bullying is not needed nor appreciated by me.

I guess I'll interject. I was on my own sugar then salty grease and then sugar circle - I understand it. I remember it, though I'm hoping people change from it.

Food is much more interesting than that, even for someone with very low money.
It takes information. I have a friend spending hundreds of hours helping start school gardens. And so what, she is not me. But I get the desire, so much.

I'm moving along to think that basic nutrition is near as important as the alphabet. I know, that sounds proscriptive, which I am not.

I think that there is more than enough evidence to call into question the current low salt fad. I predict that it will go the way of the low fat fad......a giant "oops, it seemed like a good idea at the time"

Hypertension (high blood pressure): "Since 1994, the evidence of an association between dietary salt intakes and blood pressure has increased. The data have been consistent in various study populations and across the age range in adults." A large scale study from 2007 has shown that people with high-normal blood pressure who significantly reduced the amount of salt in their diet decreased their chances of developing cardiovascular disease by 25% over the following 10 to 15 years. Their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease decreased by 20%.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (cardiac enlargement): "Evidence suggests that high salt intake causes left ventricular hypertrophy, a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease, independently of blood pressure effects." "…there is accumulating evidence that high salt intake predicts left ventricular hypertrophy." Excessive salt (sodium) intake, combined with an inadequate intake of water, can cause hypernatremia. It can exacerbate renal disease.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt

Osteoporosis Diet Dangers: Foods to Avoid
Salt, soda, caffeine: Could your daily diet be damaging your bones -- even leading to osteoporosis?
By Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD

Osteoporosis Diet Danger 1: Salt Is Bad for the Bone!
Salt can pose a great obstacle to a sturdy skeleton. Research has found that postmenopausal women with a high-salt diet lose more bone minerals than other women of the same age.

"The salt content of the typical American diet is one of the reasons why calcium requirements are so high," says Linda K. Massey, PhD, RD, a professor of human nutrition at Washington State University in Spokane.

Massey says studies show that regular table salt, not simply sodium, causes calcium loss, weakening bones with time. That’s important because Americans get about 90% of our sodium through salt.

We also get about twice as much sodium as we should. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day – equal to a teaspoon of salt. But most Americans get at least 4,000 milligrams a day.

"Generally speaking, for every 2,300 milligrams of sodium you take in, about 40 milligrams of calcium is lost in the urine," Massey explains.

read the rest of the article here
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/diet-dangers

J Neural Transm. 2003 Jan;110(1):95-110.

The role of diet in cognitive decline.
Solfrizzi V, Panza F, Capurso A.

Department of Geriatrics, Center for Aging Brain, Memory Unit, University of Bari, Policlinico, Bari, Italy.

Abstract
Recent findings suggest a possible role of diet in age-related cognitive decline, and cognitive impairment of both degenerative (Alzheimer's disease, AD) or vascular origin. In particular, in an older population of Southern Italy with a typical Mediterranean diet, high monounsaturated fatty acids energy intake appeared to be associated with a high protection against cognitive decline. In addition, dietary fat and energy in older people seem to be risk factors, while fish consumption and cereals are found to reduce the prevalence of AD in the European and North American countries. Moreover, foods with large amounts of aluminium-containing additives or aluminium from drinking water may affect the risk of developing AD. Vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B6, B12 and folates, and antioxidant deficiencies (vitamins E and C) could also influence the memory capabilities and have an effect on cognitive decline. Dietary anti-oxidants and supplements and specific macronutrients of the diet may act synergistically with other protective factors opening new possibilities of intervention for cognitive decline.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12541015

Cognitive Decline
By Ed Susman, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Published: July 15, 2009
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

VIENNA, July 15 -- A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in salt, sweets, and red meats -- the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) model -- appears to slow cognitive decline, researchers said here at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.

Heidi Wengreen, PhD, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at Utah State University, Logan, lead author of the study, said however that adherence to the DASH diet was difficult, which could hamper the diet as a practical intervention.

The study included 3,831 people over the age of 65 years who participate in the Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory, Health and Aging.

"No one in our study was actually able to follow the DASH plan 100%," said Ron Munger, PhD, a professor of nutrition at Utah State who also worked on the study.

The patients received a score based on how closely they followed the diet, which requires seven to eight servings of grains; four to five servings of fruit; four to five servings of vegetables, two to three servings of low fat dairy, two or fewer servings of meat a day, and five servings of nuts or legumes or seeds a week.

The groups were divided into quintiles, and the results showed that those patients in the highest quintile -- the individuals who were closest in following the diet -- had the slowest decline in cognitive functioning, while the patients in the lowest quintiles had the most rapid decline in functioning.

Over the 11-year time frame of the study, the difference between the most diet-adherent individuals was about 3.73 points (P<0.001) on the Modified Mini Mental State Examination, a standard instrument that measures cognitive decline. The examinations were given at baseline and as many as four times during the study period.

"Over the years, researchers have tried to slow cognitive decline using single nutrients and supplements, with mixed results," said Dr. Munger. "We believe that what we have observed is that the total DASH-like diet is greater than the sum of its parts."

But Dr. Munger cautioned that the observational data cannot confirm that the diet itself is responsible for slowing mental decline in these older individuals.

Another possible explanation is that adherence to the DASH diet was a marker for an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and not smoking.

Nonetheless, he said there were solid data that demonstrate the DASH diet was effective in lowering blood pressure. That alone, he said, supports use of the diet.

In commenting on the study, Maria Carrillo, PhD, director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, which sponsors ICAD, offered a less critical analysis: "Following the DASH diet helps you to preserve a little bit of cognitive function that otherwise would have been lost. The cognitive decline is cumulative, so ultimately there can be a big difference."

However, Dr. Munger said that barely one quarter of Americans follow just part of the DASH diet -- eating four to five servings of fruits a day, despite recent campaigns to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.

So while there isn't good compliance with the diet, "The good news is there's lots of room for improvement," he said.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ICAD/15099

"health" based dieting has become an obsession for far too many people with not enough reality problems in their life (is it 8 or 10 glasses of water I should drink every day?)