corkscrew-bottle-neck / toasto.com
The New York Times Upshot column is running a good series looking at the research from some of the hottest health topics. Here’s what they’re saying:
- Do have a glass of wine or so, particularly red. It’s probably good for cardiovascular health.
- Modest amounts of salt aren’t an issue, between 3 and 6 grams a day. However, there is still disagreement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration favors 2.3 grams a day. The World Health Organization says 2.0. The American Heart Association says 1.5 grams. My own bias has two points. No. 1, Don’t get confused between grams and milligrams, though. It takes 1,000 mg to equal a gram. So that serving of lasagna at Olive Garden is 2,360 mg alone and therefore likely to put you over any of these standards for the day. No. 2, don’t assume it won’t get worse; there is other research to show that salt makes you crave more salt, which puts you over any wise limit.
- Artificial sweeteners are not so bad.
- And no…you do not have to drink 8 glasses of water a day, which should make the folks at Weight Watchers, who preach this religiously, nervous.