Seven Diet Sins

The most common nutrition mistakes -- and how to avoid them.

• Assuming your choices are better than they actually are.
• Being confused about carbs.
• Eating too much.
• Not eating enough -- or often enough.
• Taking too many supplements.
• Excluding exercise.
• Believing everything you read about nutrition and weight loss.

You read all the books; buy all the right vitamins; you know the buzzwords to look for on food labels. By all standards, you're certain your nutrition report card should be filled with straight A's.

But before you start pasting gold stars onto your refrigerator door, take heed: Nutrition experts say most of us think we are eating a lot better than we actually are.

"It's easy to buy into some pretty popular nutrition misconceptions -- myths and half-truths that ultimately find us making far fewer healthier food choices than we realize," says New York University nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD.

To set the record straight, Heller and two colleagues from the American Dietetic Association gave us the dish on seven nutrition mistakes you probably don't know you're making -- along with sure-fire ways to avoid them.

Mistake No. 1: Assuming your choices are better than they actually are.

From fruit juices to canned vegetable soup, breakfast muffins to seven-grain bread, it's easier to think your food choices are healthier than they really are, experts tell WebMD.

"If a label says 'Seven-Grain Bread,' it sounds pretty healthy, right? But unless that label also says 'whole grains' it's not necessarily going to be the healthiest bread choice you could make," Heller says.

Likewise, she says many folks think that eating a can of vegetable soup is as nutritious as downing a plateful of veggies -- not realizing how few vegetables are inside, and how much of the nutrients are lost in processing.

Another common mistake: Substituting fruit juices for whole fruits.

"Are fruit juices healthier than soda? Yes. But they are also concentrated sources of sugar that don't give you anywhere near the same level of nutrients you get from whole fruits," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD. What's more, says Taub-Dix, if you're trying to lose weight, you won't get the same sense of fullness from a glass of juice that you will from a piece of fruit.

"Instead, you'll just take in a whole lot of calories -- and still feel hungry," Taub-Dix says.

The solution: Whenever possible, eat whole, fresh, and unprocessed foods. Even when you eat them in smaller amounts, you're likely to get a well-rounded group of nutrients. When buying packaged foods, put in at least as much time into reading labels and selecting products as you do when choosing a shower gel or shampoo.

"Don't just assume a product is healthy -- even if it's in the health food section of the supermarket," says Heller. "You've got to read the labels."

Mistake No. 2: Being confused about carbs.

A national fascination with low-carb diets has many Americans eliminating carbohydrates from their eating plans in record "grams." But before you reconstruct your personal nutrition pyramid, there's something you should know.

"There are carbs that are very, very good, and some that are less good, but your brain and body must have some carbohydrates every day," says Heller.

Moreover, because complex carbohydrates (those rich in whole grains and fiber) keep you feeling full longer, they also help you to eat less -- and lose more!

But eliminating this important food group isn't our only carb-related mistake. According to dietician Rachel Brandeis, MS, RD, just as troublesome is the belief that all no-carb or low-carb foods are healthy, or that you can eat them in any amount.

"Much like the low-fat diet craze, where everyone thought that if a meal had no fat, it had no calories, similarly people have come to believe that if it has low carbs you can eat as much as you want and not gain weight," says Brandeis. "And that is simply not true." Eat enough of anything, she says, and you'll gain weight.

The solution: Experts say you should never cut any food group out of your diet -- including carbohydrates. Equally important, says Heller, is to learn which carbohydrates give you the biggest bang for your nutritional buck.

"It's a lot harder to run amuck when you are including carbohydrates like fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in your diet," says Heller.

Mistake No. 3: Eating too much.

Whether you're filling your plate with low-fat, low-carb, or even healthy, nutritionally balanced foods, overestimating how much food your body needs is among the most common mistakes, experts say.

"Many people believe they should feel not just satisfied after a meal, but stuffed," says Heller. "I think many of us have lost touch with the sensation of having had enough food."

Adds Taub-Dix: "People also tend to believe that they can eat larger portions if all the food on their plate meets the guidelines of their current diet -- such as low-carb or low-fat -- and that, of course, is also not true."

The solution: Remain conscious of portion sizes. Weigh and measure standard portions, at least at first, so you'll know what the amounts should look like. And, says Brandeis, "never use restaurant portions as your guide -- they super-size everything."

Mistake No. 4: Not eating enough -- or often enough.

While overeating and undereating may seem like contradictory nutrition mistakes, they are related.

"If you don't eat at regular intervals throughout the day, you risk disrupting your blood sugar and insulin levels, which in the end can promote fat storage and lower your metabolism -- both of which lead to weight gain," Brandeis says.

The solution: Eat something every four hours and never let yourself "starve" from one meal to the next, Brandeis says.

Mistake No. 5: Taking too many supplements.

"People tend to forget that a vitamin pill is a supplement -- it's meant to complement your diet, not act as a stand-in for the foods you don't eat," says Heller. What's more, she says, taking too many vitamins can end up sabotaging your good health.

"Every vitamin and mineral and phytochemical in our body works in concert with one another, and it's easy to knock that balance off if you are taking concentrated doses of single nutrients, or even groups of nutrients," says Heller.

Bradeis cautions that any diet plan that claims you must take a high-potency supplement to meet your nutritional needs should send up a red flag.

"It means that eating plan is not healthy," says Brandeis, "and it also means you are going to miss out on the synergistic health effects that can only come from whole foods -- including not only helping you to feel fuller longer, but also preventing cellular breakdowns important to preventing disease."

The solution: Both experts recommend taking no more than one all-purpose multivitamin daily. Don't supplement your diet with individual nutrients without the guidance of your doctor, nutritionist, or other health expert. Keep in mind that the sales clerk in the health food store is usually not a health expert.

Mistake No. 6: Excluding exercise.

While most folks believe nutrition is all about food, Brandeis says it's also about how your body uses food -- and that's where regular exercise comes in.

"Without adequate exercise, you cannot maintain a high enough metabolic rate to burn your food efficiently," says Brandeis. "A pill can't do that for you; foods alone can't do that for you. Exercise is the only way to achieve it."

The solution: Make exercise a regular part of your life. And don't get hung up if you can't do it at the same time every day. If you miss your routine in the morning, don't wait until the next day and try to do twice as much. Instead, try to fit in some exercise -- even if it's just a little bit -- every day, says Taub-Dix.

Mistake No. 7: Believing everything you read about nutrition and weight loss.

"Just because someone writes a diet book or a nutrition guide does not mean they are an expert," cautions Brandeis.

If you're turning to a book for guidance, she says, "look to the author's credentials and ask yourself: Is this person a dietician; do they have an advanced degree in nutrition? Or are you buying this book because it's written by a celebrity who you think looks good?"

Even if an "expert" is behind your nutrition or diet plan, Brandeis says, it's important to make sure the plan is based on solid research.

"Has the plan been tried on 20 people or 200 people? Have the results been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal -- or is it based solely on anecdotal reports? These are things that I fear many people don't pay attention to before paying attention to what is being said -- and that is a huge mistake," says Brandeis.

Perhaps even more important: Experts say there is no one diet or nutrition plan that is right for every person.

Brandeis tells WebMD that dieters need to stop blaming themselves when a plan doesn't work for them. It's not them, she says. It may not even be the plan. "It's just not the correct match," she says.

The solution: Before following a particular diet or nutrition plan, check the credentials of the author or creator. Look for plans that are backed up by published medical data, and supported by the opinions of many experts in the field.

By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD

http://www.medicinenet.com

Barbeque May Contain Hidden Dangers

SUNDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Backyard barbeques are a big part of summer fun, but avoiding their hidden dangers is key to staying healthy and enjoying a cookout, a doctor suggests.

Barbeques can result in food poisoning from raw or undercooked foods; temperamental grills can cause burns; and charred meat may contribute to the development of certain types of cancer, according to Dr. Martha Howard, a Chicago Healers practitioner.

But it doesn't have to be that way, Howard noted in a news release from the health care network. As the summer heats up and more people fire up their grills, Howard offers the following tips to help ensure safe and healthy barbeques:

• Keep it clean. Be sure to scrub the grill and remove old fats.
• Use wood starters for charcoal -- not petroleum. Stack charcoal in a two-pound metal can with the ends cut off. Spread out the coals with tongs once they are well-lit.
• Become familiar with the grill. It's important to know how to operate and turn off a propane grill safely.
• Use proper hygiene. Remember to wash your hands and use separate plates and cutting boards for raw and cooked meats.
• Use marinades. Marinated meat may char less. Just don't let meat sit out while it's marinating.
• Precook. Avoid taking meats or poultry directly from the freezer to the grill. Precooking before grilling reduces overall cooking temperature and charring.
• Cut down to size. Cut meat and chicken into smaller pieces so they cook thoroughly.
• Check temperatures. To avoid food poisoning, check temperatures with a meat thermometer: chicken, 165 degrees; hamburger, 160 degrees; pork, 150 degrees; hot dogs, 140 degrees; steak, 160 degrees for medium.
• Don't allow meat to become charred. Charred meat contains three potentially cancer-causing chemicals: PhIP, HCAs (heterocyclic amines) and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).
• Trim the fat. Less fat on meat and poultry means fewer PAHs.
• Try more vegetables. Vegetables can be grilled for a healthy alternative to meat.
• Turn it off. At the end of the barbecue, be sure to put out charcoal completely, or turn the propane valve off.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas

http://www.medicinenet.com

Binge Drinking May Affect Memory of Teens

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

July 15, 2011 -- Binge drinking may have lasting effects on the still-developing brains of teenagers.
A new study shows that long after the hangover wears off, binge drinking impairs the spatial working memory of teenagers. Girls appear especially vulnerable to these effects.
Spatial working memory is the ability to perceive the space around you, remember, and work with this information to perform a task, such as using a map, playing sports, or driving a car.
"Our study found that female teenage heavy drinkers had less brain activation in several brain regions than female non-drinking teens when doing the same spatial task," says researcher Susan F. Tapert, acting chief of psychology at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, in a news release. "These differences in brain activity were linked to worse performance on other measures of attention and working memory ability."
"Even though adolescents might physically appear grown up, their brains are continuing to significantly develop and mature, particularly in frontal brain regions that are associated with higher-level thoughts, like planning and organization," says Tapert. "Heavy alcohol use could interrupt normal brain cell growth during adolescence, particularly in these frontal brain regions, which could interfere with teens' ability to perform in school and sports, and could have long-lasting effects, even months after the teen uses."
The study is published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Lingering Effects of Teen Binge Drinking

In the study, researchers compared the performance of 40 teenage binge drinkers and 55 non-drinking teenagers on a working spatial memory task on a computer. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of the participants' brains were taken during the task to show differences in brain activity.
The results showed binge drinking was associated with gender-specific differences in brain activation during the working spatial memory task. Male binge drinkers showed greater activation in all brain regions during the task while female binge drinkers showed less activation than non-drinkers.
For female teenage binge drinkers, these differences correlated with worse performance on the working spatial memory task as well as poorer sustained attention.
Among male teenage binge drinkers, greater activation in the brain translated to better spatial memory performance.
Researchers say the results suggest that teenage girls may be more vulnerable to the toxic effects of binge drinking on the brain while males may be more resilient.
"Females' brains develop one to two years earlier than males, so alcohol use during a different developmental stage -- despite the same age -- could account for the gender differences," Talpert says. "Hormonal levels and alcohol-induced fluctuations in hormones could also account for the gender differences. Finally, the same amount of alcohol could more negatively affect females since females tend to have slower rates of metabolism, higher body fat ratios, and lower body weight."
Researchers say these gender differences for the effects of teenage binge drinking on brain development merit further study.
"These findings remind us that adolescent boys and girls are biologically different and represent distinctive groups that require separate and parallel study," says researcher Edith V. Sullivan, PhD, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, in the news release.
"And yet binge-drinking is a dangerous activity for all youth," says Sullivan. "Long after a young person -- middle school to college -- enjoys acute recovery from a hang-over, this study shows that risk to cognitive and brain functions endures. The effects on the developing brain are only now being identified. 'Why tamper with normal developmental trajectories that will likely set the stage for cognitive and motor abilities for the rest of one's life?'"

Whey Protein May Be Helpful for Weight Loss

Study Suggests Whey Protein Offers More Weight Loss Help Than Soy Protein

By Brenda Goodman

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

WebMD Health News

July 15, 2011 -- All protein may not be created equal when it comes to weight loss.
Whey, or milk, protein may offer people who want to slim down a slight edge over soy, a new study shows.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center randomly assigned 90 overweight and obese middle-aged adults to one of three groups. The first group was asked to add protein drinks made with whey to their normal diets, the second group drank protein drinks made with soy protein, and the third group drank carbohydrate drinks.
Study participants weren't told which group they had been assigned to.  All the drinks, which were drunk twice daily, at breakfast and dinner, had the same number of calories: 200. They also all had had 52 grams per packet, for a daily total of 104 grams of added protein or carbs.
Researchers tracked participants' physical activity levels, weights, waist sizes, lean and fat body mass, and blood levels of hormones related to hunger and metabolism.
They also had people keep records of the other foods they were eating. The researchers made sure participants were drinking the shakes during random urine tests for levels of a chemical tracer they had added to the powders.
Seventy-three people completed the study, which is published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Whey Protein vs. Soy Protein

When the study started, there were no significant differences between groups, researchers report.
Men weighed an average of 218 pounds, while women weighed an average of about 190 pounds.
Throughout the study, all the groups ate roughly the same number of average daily calories, about 2,200.
After six months, people drinking the carbohydrate shakes had gained a little bit of weight, about 2 pounds, which appeared to be mainly added fat, compared to where they started.
People drinking the soy shakes had stayed about the same weight as where they started.
But people drinking the whey protein had lost a little bit of weight and body fat, about 2 pounds. Additionally, while the other groups saw little change in the size of their waists, the whey protein group lost about an inch around the middle.
The study was partially funded by the dairy industry.

How Whey Protein May Affect Weight

Researchers say a couple of things may help to explain the weight and fat loss seen with whey protein.
People in the whey protein group had significantly lower blood levels of the hormone ghrelin than people eating the soy protein or carbohydrate.
"It's a hormone that helps regulate food intake," says David J. Baer, PhD, research physiologist at the USDA's agriculture research service in Beltsville, Md. "So the higher concentration, the more hungry somebody feels. The lower concentration, the fuller somebody feels."
And though researchers really can't explain why this happened or what it means, they found that people drinking the whey protein had cut back on their carbohydrate intake by the end of the study, even though they weren't eating fewer total calories and didn't know what kind of supplement they were getting.
Though people drinking soy protein saw little change in their weight or body composition during the study, they had higher levels of thyroid hormones compared to those drinking whey. Thyroid hormones control metabolism and higher levels may indicate a metabolic boost, though more research is needed to fully explain what that may mean for weight loss.
For people who are hoping to replicate the results at home, researchers advise picking a whey product that is also low in calories and fat.
"A lot of the whey products on the market also have a lot of calories in them," Baer says, "Consumers just need to read those labels."

Nuts Good for Some With Diabetes

Study Shows Daily Serving of Nuts Improves Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD


July 8, 2011 -- Eating about 2 ounces of nuts daily in place of carbohydrates may be beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes by lowering bad cholesterol levels and improving blood sugar control, a new study shows.

“There are two important factors in caring for diabetes: blood sugar control and heart health,” study researcher Cyril W.C. Kendall, PhD, of the University of Toronto, says in a news release.
Nut Study Design

The study involved 117 people with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group’s members ate about 2 ounces of mixed nuts daily, another a healthy muffin, and the third half nuts and half muffin.

Researchers say those whose diet included 2 ounces of nuts showed better results after three months in both blood sugar and LDL "bad" cholesterol levels than participants in the other two groups.

The nuts consisted of a mixture of unsalted and mostly raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias.

The muffin was concocted to be a healthy whole wheat product, sweetened with apple concentrate but with no sugar added. The muffins had similar protein content to the nuts from the addition of egg white and skim milk powder. Calories from monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in the nuts were the same as the carbohydrate calories in the muffin, the researchers write.

During the three-month study, participants were asked to maintain their oral diabetes medications.
Blood Sugar Improvement

The main outcome researchers looked for was change in a marker of blood sugar control called HbA1c.

Kendall described the results of the study as “a very exciting and promising finding about the treatment” of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers write that the reduction in the HbA1c level was significantly more in those in the nuts-only group than participants in the other groups.

The reduction of LDL "bad" cholesterol was also significantly greater in those who ate 2 ounces of nuts compared with the group eating muffins.

“We conclude that mixed, unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted nuts have benefits for both blood glucose control and blood lipids and may be used to increase vegetable oil and protein intake in the diets of type 2 diabetic patients as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain,” the researchers write.

The study is published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.

One of the supporters of the study was the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, which represents almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts, and also the Peanut Institute.

Both Kendall and David J.A. Jenkins, MD, also of the University of Toronto and author of the study, acknowledged receiving honoraria from the Almond Board of California, the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, and Unilever Canada.

www.webmd.com

Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair

When it comes to healthy hair, it’s not just what you put on your tresses that count -- it’s what you put in your body, too.
By Hilary Parker
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

"Lather, rinse, repeat" may be standard advice, but shampoo and conditioner alone won't give you the healthy hair you crave. For the most luxurious locks possible, you'll need to step out of the shower, and into the kitchen.

"Your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch every month, and the foundation of all of our new hair, skin, and nail growth is the nutrients we eat," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago-based dietitian. "If you eat a healthy diet, you will grow stronger and healthier cells throughout your entire body -- inside and out."
Recommended Related to Beauty & Body Image

Sagging Skin — What You and Your Doctor Can Do

By Holly Crawford Gravity does take its toll, but something else is at work here: Over time, the skin's underlying structure breaks down, robbing our faces of their definition, youthful plumpness, and resilience. Skin also renews itself much more slowly than it once did. Thanks to all these factors (not to mention genetics, weight changes, and sun damage), skin starts to sag and hang (that's where jowls come from).
If you were born with fine, thin hair, you'll never have rope-thick tresses -- no matter what you eat -- but a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of growth-promoting protein and iron can make a difference, say nutrition and hair experts.

And beware of dietary supplements often marketed to thicken hair or make it grow faster. They may backfire.

"Even though you can find beauty supplements on the shelves of most stores, try to get the nutrients you need from foods whenever possible," Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist in Vallejo, Calif., tells WebMD. "In rare instances, excess supplementation of certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, has been linked to hair loss."

Read on for the 10 top foods that should be the foundation of your healthy hair diet.
Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon

When it comes to foods that pack a beauty punch, it's hard to beat salmon. Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.

"Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health," says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and thus hair, giving it a dull look."

Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.
Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables

Popeye the Sailor Man didn't eat all that spinach for healthy hair, but he could have. Spinach, like broccoli and Swiss chard, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body's natural hair conditioner.

Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.
Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans

Beans, beans, they're good for your ... hair?

Yes, it's true. Legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.

Blatner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.
Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts

Do you go nuts for thick, shiny hair? You should.

Brazil nuts are one of nature's best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp.

Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help condition your hair. They are also a terrific source of zinc, as are cashews, pecans, and almonds. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure nuts are a regular on your healthy hair menu.


Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry

Chickens and turkeys may have feathers, but the high-quality protein they provide will help give you the healthy hair you crave.

"Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, while a profound protein deficiency can result in loss of hair color," Giancoli tells WebMD.

Poultry also provides iron with a high degree of bioavailability, meaning your body can easily reap its benefits.


Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs

When it comes to healthy hair, it doesn't matter whether you like your eggs scrambled, fried, or over easy. However they're served up, eggs are one of the best protein sources you can find.

They also contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients.
Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains

Sink your teeth into hearty whole grains, including whole-wheat bread and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, for a hair-healthy dose of zinc, iron, and B vitamins.

A whole-grain snack can also be a great go-to food when your energy is zapped halfway through the afternoon, and you've still got hours to go before dinner.
Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters

Oysters may be better known for their reputation as an aphrodisiac, but they can also lead to healthy hair -- and who doesn't love that?

The key to their love and hair-boosting abilities is zinc -- a powerful antioxidant.

If oysters don't make a regular appearance on your dinner plate, don't despair. In addition to getting it from whole grains and nuts, you can also get zinc from beef and lamb.


www.webmd.com

Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products

Low-fat dairy products like skim milk and yogurt are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources.

For some healthy hair foods "to-go," try throwing a yogurt or cottage cheese cup in your bag when you head out in the morning to snack on later in the day. You can even boost their hair benefits by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids and zinc.
Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes a healthy scalp along with good vision.

Since a healthy scalp is essential for a shiny, well-conditioned head of hair, you'd be wise to include carrots in your diet as snacks or toppings on your salad

www.webmd.com

Heart Benefits From Cutting Back on Salt?

July 6, 2011 -- Reducing salt intake in the diet produces a small decline in blood pressure, according to a new review of research. But the evidence is not conclusive on whether salt reduction has an effect on getting cardiovascular disease or dying from it, the researchers say.

The findings are not a call to eat salt with abandon, warns researcher Rod Taylor, PhD, MSc, professor of health services research at the University of Exeter in the U.K.

The review evaluated nearly 6,500 people and is published online in the American Journal of Hypertension and the Cochrane Database ofSystematic Reviews 2011.

Taylor suspects he found no strong evidence that salt reduction lowered heart disease risk and death because the numbers studied were too small. And those studied may have lowered salt intake at first but then slid back into old habits, he says.

In the short term, up to two years after study participants were advised to reduce salt, he found a trend of reduced deaths, Taylor tells WebMD. "In the longer term, out about 10 years, that benefit disappeared. And we believe that is because people were not able to maintain that behavior."

"What this says is, giving people advice to reduce their dietary salt is not enough on its own," Taylor says.

What is needed is a multi-pronged approach, he says, including better labeling, at least in the U.K., and government help, along with more research studies looking at the link.

www.webmd.com