If They Were Really Interested in Reducing Deaths....

Washington Post - FDA takes aim at salt content in processed food:Regulator says limits will reduce deaths, but many fear taste will suffer

"...Most salt eaten by Americans -- 77 percent -- comes from processed foods ..."

Assuming that "excess" sodium is harmful - the science is far from clear on that - the above statistic seems to suggest it would make more sense to target processed foods than simply attacking the amount of salt within them.

But I guess if we got rid of processed foods we wouldn't need the FDA anymore - and when is the last time you saw the government get smaller?

Time will tell if this is yet another misguided attempt at "saving" us.

Like...

- eggs are bad for you.
- saturated fat causes heart disease.
- red meat kills.
- butter is bad, have margarine instead!

But these are perfectly ok for you...

- high fructose corn syrup
- partially hydrogenated corn/soybean oils
- sodium nitrates/-ites

Whew! Sure glad I have Big Brother looking out for my health - aren't you?

"Conventional wisdom has dictated that fat from red meat is a risk factor for heart disease, but ..."

...So starts an article I came across this morning - "Processed Meat May Harm the Heart" - Healthday. The sentence finishes as follows:

"...a new analysis from Harvard researchers finds it's eating processed meat -- not unprocessed red meat -- that increases the risk for heart disease and even diabetes."

Other notable passages:

..."The researchers found that people who ate unprocessed red meat did not significantly increase their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes. However, eating processed meat was linked to an increased risk for the two conditions.

In fact, for every 50-gram (1.8-ounce) serving, the risk for heart disease jumped 42 percent and the risk for diabetes increased 19 percent."

and..

"When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed meats and processed meats eaten in the U.S., we found that they contained similar amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol," Micha said. "In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times higher amounts of sodium and two times higher amounts of nitrate preservatives."

This suggests that salt and other preservatives, rather than fats, probably explain the higher risk for heart attacks and diabetes seen with processed meats, Micha said.

Going well so far. Then...

...Both red and processed meat and other foods, such as butter and cheese, that are high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic disease, Heller said, adding that people should limit consumption of them as well.

"Going low- or no-fat with dairy products helps lower our intake of saturated fat," she said. "Choosing healthy protein sources -- such as white-meat poultry, low-mercury fish, soy, nuts and beans -- and focusing on moving in the direction of a more plant-based diet will help us all live longer, healthier lives."

Gotta take the good with the bad as the saying goes.