I agree with this basic premise. However, in the case of sodium restriction what does 'Big Medicine' have to gain?? Selling less blood pressure medication?Do some study on statins, in example. The so called studies their recommendation is based on is bogus. They found they actually do little to no good. Many people have very negative reactions taking them. And many people have stopped taking them.
Hello CoreIssue,
I was prescribed statins in around 2003. Never took them. Not even the samples meant to hold me over until I could get the script filled. About 6 months later I received an urgent call from the doctor's office to stop taking them and throw the rest away.
Never said anything about statins, but simply that I cannot link recommendations for reducing sodium to some sort of conspiratorial ploy to sell more drugs.
Have not studied statins much, but they seem to be the typical symptom reducing affair. Like many other meds, they can reduce the scary numbers, but often never actually reduce the likelihood of events causing reduced health or death. (aka 'false numbers') Good numbers produced from correcting the actual causes would give the better actual outcomes. Many medications do not do that. Many medications merely shutdown the feedback mechanisms that are out of whack due to a problem initiated upstream.
Like the diabetic who has high blood sugar numbers. They get meds that reduce the numbers and then go back to poor eating habits. Then the conditions worsens again so new more powerful meds. Until things get too much for meds. Some meds can give short term symptom and even condition relief, but that is a grace period in which behavior modifications need to take place. To stop doing what caused the problem in the first place.
Still fail to see where suggesting reduced sodium intake to some patients sells more statins? Which are for cholesterol. I fail to see how diet modifications such as reduced sodium sell more blood pressure drugs as well? Will reduced sodium sell more drugs of any kind? I thought that "I agree with this basic premise." clarified my position with Big Pharma and studies usually paid for my the people who want a particular result? As always... follow the money
An otherwise healthy person should be able to have at the salt with few or no complications. But, for me now, excess sodium causes some minor edema. When one sees such cause & effect in their own body then doctors, studies or much of anything do not matter very much. I am from the era of salt tablets. No agenda or axes to grind.
I am dealing with some kidney issues. I am watching sodium, potassium and the big toughie, phosphorus. I take no drugs. Of any kind. But having waited so long after early signs showed up that if medicine were more accessible, I probably would see what it offers and then research it beyond what a doctor might recommend for myself. Like I did with statins 15 years ago. Likely what drove me to curezone.org back then come to think of it. I will take from big medicine (or anything else not immoral or sinful) what it offers, but never blindly. I've learned to be that way with alternative options too. Which has become somewhat of its own Big Biz these days.
Regards