Heart Take Away: A diet too high in salt and too low in potassium doubles the risk of death from heart disease, according to a Center for Disease Control study led by researcher Elena V. Kuklina, M.D., Ph.D., a nutritional epidemiologist.
An out of whack sodium-to-potassium ratio seems to be a cause of premature coronary heart disease and stroke deaths. A sodium intake of 1,500 milligrams a day maximum and potassium intake of 4,700 milligrams a day is considered adequate (under current Dietary Guidelines) to maintain a healthy balance between the two. Remember, most excess salt is eaten in foods prepared outside the home.
If you need a potassium boost, eat more cantaloupe, oranges, grapes, grapefruit, blackberries, yogurt, dried beans, leafy greens, potatoes sweet potatoes, or bananas. I know, I know, I know. These foods may wreak havoc on low carb diets, but it's workable. Avoid increasing potassium with supplements; potassium from food is preferable for achieving balance.
Talking ratios reminds me that the Yale Heart Study, for which I have been burning the midnight oil, has reached the 30 percent mark in heart attack survivor participation but still needs (wow, this is a daunting number) 1,850 more heart attack survivors to share their experiences by April 2012. If you've had a heart attack and lived to tell about it please click here. Thanks to you, it will be possible to improve survival and quality of life.
But back to salt and potassium. The Salt Institute disagrees with Kuklina's study results, finding them "flawed" and revelatory of a "dogmatic anti-salt agenda."
Both high and low sodium have been linked to high blood pressure in previous studies. So has low potassium. Kuklina's study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, found the key to be in the ratio of sodium to potassium.
Kuklina and her colleagues followed 12,267 U.S. adult participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988 to 1994. Participants responded to questions about their diets and underwent physical exams.
None were on a reduced salt diet; those with a pre-existing history of stroke or heart problems were excluded. During the 15-year study, 2,270 people died, including 1,268 from cardiovascular disease.
Two more days, two more columns and I will have completed 29 heart health blogs in 29 days during American Heart Health Month. You're officially invited to continue reading and asking about heart health at the Yale Heart Study's Facebook page.
The third-to-last-time I'll be saying it: See you tomorrow.
Found Along the Way Department:
Medicare, the government health insurance program for Americans 65 and older, covers yoga for heart disease, according to CNN and The Huffington Post. Specifically, it covers the Ornish program (investigated and found excellent by Yale Heart Study), which teaches a plant-based, meatless diet, meditation and regular exercise. The program was officially declared an intensive cardiac rehab program in 2010, and the first patients started in May 2011.
Heart attack survivors, please click here to take the Yale Heart Survey aimed at reducing the time victims delay before calling 9-1-1 or going to the hospital. If you haven't had a heart attack, click and forward to someone who has had one. Thank you.
Evaluation of the Ornish diet provided by Megan Parmenter, Research Associate. Disclosure: Suzanne O'Malley is a Sr. Research Associate for the non-profit NIH-funded Yale Heart Study. Applications are open to her creative & screenwriting weekends & summer classes at Yale Writers' Conference & Yale Summer Film Institute.
For more by Suzanne O'Malley, click here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.