Why Doctors Are Confused About The Role Of Diet In Disease

[tex]

Hi All,

Apparently it's in their genes , because it appears that historically, doctors have always been confused on this issue, and they have traditionally refused to recognize that diet can be a cause of disease. Ever since Hippocrates (arguably the Father of medicine) said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food", it seems that every other doctor in the world has been insisting that he was wrong. And they don't seem to be inclined to ever change this long-held position. The article at the following link illustrates how this was the case approximately a hundred years ago, when pellagra was a major problem. It's déjà vu all over again, with today's autoimmune type disease "epidemic".

Pellagra and the Four Ds

Incidentally, if you will scroll down that page, you will find a very, very interesting article titled The Sodium Story. It sort of debunks the current myth that we should be continually reducing our salt intake to ridiculously-low levels

Bottom line. For the average healthy person, be assured that your current sodium intake is probably OK. The U.S. average of about 3450 mg sodium per day is just above the point where the rescue mechanisms begin to kick in. So it’s not too much by any means. On the other hand, an intake of 6000 mg/day or higher can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure. So 6000 is too much. If you have a medical condition and are under the care of a physician who has recommended reduced sodium intake, take his/her advice; you’re paying for it. But, in view of the new IOM statement that there is no evidence of benefit for intakes below 2300 mg sodium per day, you might wish to ask your physician whether he/she is aware of the change and seek reassurance that continuing on a low salt diet is actually right for you.

Tex

[sunny]

Tex, Thanks so much for this... I struggle to find the right amount of salt to include in my diet... with heart failure and reduced renal function, it can get tricky. I have had some scary episodes of fluid retention that found my lungs half full of water before I knew what was happening and a 4 pound weight gain overnight.

I have found a Nutritionist with some helpful suggestions in many areas and he suggested putting a pinch of salt in my water bottle and combined with coconut water would help that balance of sodium and potassium. It has worked remarkably well, and my BP has gone for 106/58 to !38/78.... depending on times of day. He also suggested i add sea salt to broth& meals in small amounts and that has been beneficial as well. My cardiologist wants me to chart my sodium and fluid intake daily and I find it difficult to chart that pinch here & pinch there!
So this blog helped confirm that I am doing the right thing.
sunny

[tex]

Sunny,

You're very welcome. The salt issue bugs me, because like cholesterol, doctors fixate on things such as this and they automatically think that just because excessive amounts might be bad for health, that implies that the less we use, the better off we are, and that's simply not true.

Doctors often start out with good ideas, but they seem to have a bad habit of taking their simplistic beliefs to extremes, as time passes. And that can lead to adverse health effects, in the long run.

Tex