Salt increases risk of heart attack and stroke, from Harvard Men’s Health Watch
The sodium in salt is responsible for more than 100,000 American deaths a year, about three times more than prostate cancer. Most of the salt Americans consume is hidden away in processed foods, a key reason that most of us take in much more sodium than we need. The major health effect of eating too much salt is a rise in blood pressure, which leads to a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke, reports the October 2010 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
Although sodium has an important influence on blood pressure, scientists are not sure exactly how it works. It seems likely that eating salt expands blood volume and, in turn, the extra volume may signal the kidneys to trigger a cascade of effects on hormones and blood vessels that raise blood pressure.
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