Yaël: And now, another episode of lunch with A Moment of Science...

Don: Yaël, will you pass the salt?

Y: I thought salt is bad for you, Don.

D: Too much salt is bad for you. It can raise your blood pressure and put you at risk for      having a heart attack or stroke.

Y: Really? You know, I've heard that, but I never understood why . . .

D: It's actually kind of mysterious. The body needs a certain amount of salt to function      properly. Without enough salt, blood can't properly deliver oxygen and nutrients to      cells.

Y: So it sounds like salt is good for you.

D: Some salt, yes. The body doesn't naturally produce salt, so some salt in the diet is a      good thing. But too much salt, can turn the tables. When you eat lots and lots of salt      in processed foods and canned soups, for example, the body retains water to      compensate. The extra fluid gets absorbed by the blood vessels. Scientists think the      extra pressure on blood vessel walls has something to do with causing high blood      pressure.

Y: But isn't that controversial. I've read plenty of stuff online claiming there's no proven      link between salt and blood pressure . . .

D: Well, not everything you read online is trustworthy, right? There are dozens of studies      showing a link between eating lots of salt and having high blood pressure. And      there's just as much evidence suggesting that eating less salt can lower blood      pressure. Some scientists estimate that more than one hundred thousand people      every year die from causes related to eating too much salt.

Y: Wow. So, do you still want the salt?

D: Guess I'll take the pepper instead.  

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