Salt--more adverse effects.

Salt intake has been shown to be the most important determinant of blood pressure differences both between populations and within populations, as well as the main determinant of the rise in blood pressure with increasing age. In spite of this overwhelming evidence, the food industry for commercial reasons has sustained an artificial debate about the importance of salt intake. This has distracted attention from the other serious effects that a high salt intake may have. A high salt intake (a) exacerbates conditions where there is already sodium and water retention; (b) is the rate limiting factor for carcinoma of the stomach; (c) contributes to left ventricular hypertrophy; (d) is likely to hasten deterioration of renal function and renal disease; (e) is an exacerbating factor in asthma; and (f) increasingly is suggested as a major aggravating factor in osteoporosis.