Salt Linked To Autoimmune Diseases

ananyo writes "The incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, has spiked in developed countries in recent decades. In three studies published today, researchers describe the molecular pathways that can lead to autoimmune disease and identify one possible culprit that has been right under our noses — and on our tables — the entire time: salt. Some forms of autoimmunity have been linked to overproduction of TH17 cells, a type of helper T cell that produces an inflammatory protein called interleukin-17. Now scientists have found sodium chloride turns on the production of these cells (abstract). They also showed that in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, a high-salt diet accelerated the disease's progression (abstract)."

Comments

Re:most salt is not real salt anyway

[Looker_Device]

That iodine has done a LOT of good for public health.

Re:most salt is not real salt anyway

[Anonymous Coward]

Been an engineer for a salt company for 20 years, the processing of salt is to take out the few impurities there are, we do not really add anything at all. There is no bleach, you do not clean 316SS that way when working with salt, salt kills bacteria as well as bleach could. You can easily get non iodine salt, the only additive is a inert agent to help it keep flowing in high moisture... (think of the rice in shakers, yeah its like that). "Natural" salt and Sea Salt, which we do make, is basically less clean, kinda nasty... but the crystal size and organization is different so it gives a different taste, quite nice on some things. But it is still nasty compared to good ole processed table salt, 99.9% pure and the last 0.1 is mostly encapsulated sand and our flow agent. Salt is CHEAP, we used to joke when crackpots (sorry valued customers) sent us complaints we were "cutting" the salt with something because it tasted less salty.... we looked it up, sand is much more expensive, not sure what we could cut it with that is cheaper! Oh and while we are at it, if anyone ever throws out salt due to a best buy date I will find them and smack them, we are forec to put those on, most of the US salt is at least 10k years old, it is not gonna bad anytime soon.

Re:most salt is not real salt anyway

[Narcocide]

You know, when you are asking for a Citation like a smart-ass, maybe you should first make sure there isn't one to be found by searching the very site you're posting on.

Hmm

[Frankie70]

Taubes on Salt - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

While, back then, the evidence merely failed to demonstrate that salt was harmful, the evidence from studies published over the past two years actually suggests that restricting how much salt we eat can increase our likelihood of dying prematurely. Put simply, the possibility has been raised that if we were to eat as little salt as the U.S.D.A. and the C.D.C. recommend, weâ(TM)d be harming rather than helping ourselves.

Re:Everything good is bad for you

[lloydchristmas759]

I don't want to ruin your illusions, but if fish sauce or soy sauce taste salty, it's because there is a LOT of sodium chloride in them, so there is no benefit for health to use them instead of plain salt.
Take a look at what's in soy sauce...

However, some ingredients can be used as a replacement to salt and derivative to increase the taste of food, for instance lemon juice.

Re:Everything good is bad for you

[mpe]

And once we are eating that diet free of salt, sugar, and all the rest of that, we'll all die of malnutrition since most of those things are (or are our primary source of) vital nutrients.

It turns out that there is no such thing as an "essential sugar" in the human diet. Not even amylose or amylopectin...

Actually, they DO consume MASSIVE amounts of salt.

[denzacar]

Also, butter. They make tea from it.

They tend to eat or drink on average more than 20 grams of salt per day.
They also tend to live 4900 meters above sea level. On average.

Re:Everything good is bad for you

[Bonobo_Unknown]

You should read the article. No really. Because they mention exactly this. That it's not just a matter of eliminating salt, it is absolutely required, but that we tend to eat too much. Heck here's a copy / paste for you:

To stay healthy, the human body relies on a careful balance: too little immune function and we succumb to infection, too much activity and the immune system begins to attack healthy tissue, a condition known as autoimmunity. Some forms of autoimmunity have been linked to overproduction of TH17 cells, a type of helper T cell that produces an inflammatory protein called interleukin-17.