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27 reviews for:
The Salt Fix: Why Experts Got It All Wrong - And How Eating More Might Save Your Life
James DiNicolantonio
3.64 AVERAGE
27 reviews for:
The Salt Fix: Why Experts Got It All Wrong - And How Eating More Might Save Your Life
James DiNicolantonio
3.64 AVERAGE
To me, this book belongs on the shelf with others like [b:The Case Against Sugar|29874881|The Case Against Sugar|Gary Taubes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461535086s/29874881.jpg|50247128] and [b:The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet|16130316|The Big Fat Surprise Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet|Nina Teicholz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420938364s/16130316.jpg|21955620] - books that look at the history behind the food and diet suggestions we've been told and unpack them by looking at the science.
The Salt Fix is a great read on this really interesting topic. It's one of those rules we think is 'obvious' and common sense - salt leads to hypertension and high blood pressure - but as DiNicolantonio goes through the history and the science it seems very clear that this is not common sense. In fact, when you look at the science it looks like the complete opposite of what we've been told! A low salt diet may lower your blood pressure by a point or two, but the effect of a low salt diet on your system can wreak even more havoc (with things like an increase in insulin, increased heart rate, compromised kidney function and more), and the effects of a low-salt diet are rarely stated by doctors.
Starting with the history of salt researchers in the early 1900's this book goes through the various main-characters and studies that led to our current low salt guidelines, and how iffy science managed to make it's way into our food guides, government guidelines and food manufacturing practices.
The main takeaway here is that salt is generally ok for you, and sugar is the main culprit behind most of our issues with health, high-blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. If you are craving salt it probably means your body needs more of it - so go on and eat those pickles and olives! Instead of watching your salt intake, eat as much as you'd like, and watch your sugar intake instead.
The average amount of sodium we should be ingesting is around 3-6 grams per day.
(However there are some drugs and some diseases that may make you more susceptible to salt, and there are some drugs that may require you to ingest more salt than average - so please check the book for yourself, or talk to your doctor :) )
The Salt Fix does get bogged down here and there in sciency-jargon and lots of cited studies - the book seems to be aiming for something like Nina Teicholz's The Big Fat Surprise in tone, but doesn't always succeed. Teicholz is a journalist, and DiNicolantonio is not, and that is quite noticeable while reading specific chapters - especially those on history.
A must-read for anyone with high-blood pressure, or those who are interested in the history of food guides and recommendations. Highly recommended!
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
The Salt Fix is a great read on this really interesting topic. It's one of those rules we think is 'obvious' and common sense - salt leads to hypertension and high blood pressure - but as DiNicolantonio goes through the history and the science it seems very clear that this is not common sense. In fact, when you look at the science it looks like the complete opposite of what we've been told! A low salt diet may lower your blood pressure by a point or two, but the effect of a low salt diet on your system can wreak even more havoc (with things like an increase in insulin, increased heart rate, compromised kidney function and more), and the effects of a low-salt diet are rarely stated by doctors.
Starting with the history of salt researchers in the early 1900's this book goes through the various main-characters and studies that led to our current low salt guidelines, and how iffy science managed to make it's way into our food guides, government guidelines and food manufacturing practices.
The main takeaway here is that salt is generally ok for you, and sugar is the main culprit behind most of our issues with health, high-blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. If you are craving salt it probably means your body needs more of it - so go on and eat those pickles and olives! Instead of watching your salt intake, eat as much as you'd like, and watch your sugar intake instead.
The average amount of sodium we should be ingesting is around 3-6 grams per day.
(However there are some drugs and some diseases that may make you more susceptible to salt, and there are some drugs that may require you to ingest more salt than average - so please check the book for yourself, or talk to your doctor :) )
The Salt Fix does get bogged down here and there in sciency-jargon and lots of cited studies - the book seems to be aiming for something like Nina Teicholz's The Big Fat Surprise in tone, but doesn't always succeed. Teicholz is a journalist, and DiNicolantonio is not, and that is quite noticeable while reading specific chapters - especially those on history.
A must-read for anyone with high-blood pressure, or those who are interested in the history of food guides and recommendations. Highly recommended!
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
informative
medium-paced
Interesting read. The author seems to prove his case, citing studies and data. I'd be even more convinced if I were to read other books or studies that corroborate this.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
Is nothing else, salt is certainly better for you than sugar.
Great book on salt! This was very informative, and I intend to incorporate some of the ideas into my daily routine.
informative
slow-paced
A more detailed review resides inside my head (and in the many many scribbles I left in my copy of this book) but essentially:
- Once again sugar shown to be bad
- Once again people using something as a scapegoat for sugar
- some parts of this book were pretty good and I enjoyed reading them
- some parts of this books (ahem. Chapter 7) were really really awful: completely all over the place, contradictory, missing the point, not giving me the information/detail on important studies that I was craving, superfluous repetition everywhere. Very disappointing.
But I shall continue to eat my salt and THAT is what really counts ☺️
- Once again sugar shown to be bad
- Once again people using something as a scapegoat for sugar
- some parts of this book were pretty good and I enjoyed reading them
- some parts of this books (ahem. Chapter 7) were really really awful: completely all over the place, contradictory, missing the point, not giving me the information/detail on important studies that I was craving, superfluous repetition everywhere. Very disappointing.
But I shall continue to eat my salt and THAT is what really counts ☺️
I enjoyed this one! I never realized why exactly I need lots of extra sodium while eating a low carb diet, exercising, or during hot weather, but it makes perfect sense.