On Thu, 24 Feb 2000, S.B. Feldman wrote:

> I fully agree with Todd. Recent work has shown that a tiny fraction of those
> with hypertension benefit from salt restriction. The myth that is dogma will
> undoubtedly remain so for a very long time even though it has been proven to
> be false.

Furthermore, salt has a very long history of being regarded as an
extremely valuable substance.  The Biblical phrase "salt of the
earth," for example is a form of praise.  In ancient times,
people could be paid in salt, from which we still get the word
"salary."  Perhaps they knew something.

If salt plays only a trivial role in natural human nutrition,
then it is a mystery to me that part of the surface of our
tongues is dedicated to salt sensors, making it possible for us
to identify the salt-bearing foods.

Todd Moody