The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong—and How Eating More Might Save Your Life

DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy, takes on the low-sodium mindset in this well-researched guide to better health. Citing our origins as creatures who “evolved from the briny sea,” DiNicolantonio posits that our bodies need salt to thrive, and need it in greater amounts than has been recommended by other medical authorities. Taking a look back through the last century to determine how the salt-as-enemy notion came about, he makes a fascinating case that the poorly researched and largely unfounded opinions of just a handful of people, in particular Dr. Walter Kempner, changed public health policy. DiNicolantonio goes on to link low-sodium diets to medical risks including obesity, heart failure, and kidney disease, before providing guidelines on how much salt humans should consume—in his view, 3 to 6 grams a day for healthy adults. His detailed text offers food for thought, backed with scientific research. (June)