Care2 Healthy Living/Michelle Schoffro Cook: Is Your Diet Destroying Beneficial Gut Bacteria?

Care2 Healthy Living 

Is Your Diet Destroying Beneficial Gut Bacteria?
By  Michelle Schoffro Cook  March 2, 2018

    About Michelle
    Follow Michelle at @mschoffrocook

Before you grab that salt shaker, keep reading. There’s more reason than ever to reduce your sodium intake. In addition to the well-established link between high salt diets and heart issues, new research found that a high salt diet can have other harmful effects, including on your gut health.

Recent research published in Nature found that a high salt diet (the Standard American Diet (SAD) constitutes a high salt diet) destroys beneficial bacteria in the gut, which is linked to autoimmune diseases and high blood pressure.

Conversely the scientists believe that probiotic supplementation may reverse these health problems.

I’ll share the research and explain the many health benefits of probiotics in the gut (anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, brain-health-boosting, etc.) as well as ways to increase the number and varieties of probiotics in the diet.

Earlier research in the medical journal Nature Neuroscience found that excessive salt consumption affects healthy blood flow to the brain and causes an increased risk of cognitive impairment, dementia and cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke.​ In that study, scientists found that a high salt diet can impair the lining of blood vessels and their ability to transport blood throughout the body, including to the brain, reducing blood flow to the delicate organ.
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While experts differ on the amount of sodium needed in the diet, the American Heart Association (AHA), estimates that the average American eats twice as much salt as they should be. The average person ingests 3400 milligrams daily while the recommended limit is 1500 mg daily. A single fast food meal in a day typically surpasses the daily limit without any other meals or snacks in a day.

Fortunately, it is easy to cut down on salt:

-Opt for homemade meals over fast food or packaged foods.

-Make your own sauces, condiments, and salad dressings since these packaged foods tend to be extremely high in salt. Use them sparingly if you must use them.

-Choose fresh or dried herbs or herbal blends instead of salt to season your food.

-Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to homemade soups, salad dressings or other foods instead of salt.

-Make your own seasoning mixes since most packaged ones tend to be high in salt.

-Start reading nutrition labels on the packaged foods you purchase and stay away from those that are high in sodium.

It’s also easy to give your gut a microbial boost. Here are a few of my preferred ways:

-Eat probiotic-rich fermented foods like sauerkraut (from the refrigerator section of your grocery or health food store), kimchi, vegan yogurt or other foods with live cultures.

-Eat more plant-based foods since the natural fiber in these foods acts as food for beneficial bacteria and gives them a boost in your gut.

-Eat less sugar. Harmful bacteria and yeasts feed on sugar and cause the balance of good to harmful bacteria to shift in favor of the latter.

-Eat more fiber-rich foods like legumes, seeds, nuts and whole grains. The fiber feeds beneficial microbes.
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Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM is the publisher of the free e-news World’s Healthiest News, the Cultured Cook, president of ScentsationalWellness, and an international best-selling and 20-time published book author whose works include: The Cultured Cook: Delicious Fermented Foods with Probiotics to Knock Out Inflammation, Boost Gut Health, Lose Weight & Extend Your Life.
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22 comments
Christine D
Christine D20 minutes ago

Once again, I will emphasize that the type of salt matters greatly. Iodized table salt has been processed to such a high temperature that it's molecular structure has been altered and rendered harmful to our health whereas sea salt and Himalayan salt are pure and unrefined and pose none of the aforementioned risks. You can bet your last dollar that the food industry uses the ultra-cheap iodized salt in manufacturing their processed foods. Personally I use Himalayan salt as sea salt, unfortunately, is now being found to be contaminated with mercury.
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Kara W
Kara W42 minutes ago

Thanks
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Cathy B
Cathy B1 hours ago

Interesting. Thank you.
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Paul Lundbohm
Paul L1 hours ago

The article (not study) shows no causation yet Cook builds upon the rest of her article as if it is fact. Add sea salts freely to your home cooked meals and don't fear your food.
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Louise R
Louise R2 hours ago

thanks
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Angela J
Angela J2 hours ago

Thanks
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Elizabeth H
Elizabeth H2 hours ago

The answer is no. I cook all my own food and don't use sugar or salt.
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Dennis Hall
Dennis H3 hours ago

thank you
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Janis K
Janis K3 hours ago

Thanks for sharing.
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