Reducing Your Salt Intake May Be Bad For You, Study Says

Cutting back on salt consumption can lead to a drop in blood pressure, but that health benefit could be offset in some people by a small increase in cholesterol levels. That’s the troubling finding of a new study published today in the American Journal of Hypertension, which analyzed evidence from 167 studies measuring the effects of sodium reduction.

And it adds to a growing body of research questioning the value of cutting back on salt if you’re otherwise healthy and don’t have high blood pressure. A study published last May in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that healthy people who ate the least amount of sodium didn’t have any health advantage over those who ate the most, and they actually had a slightly higher risk of dying from heart disease.

Another review analysis in July found that lowering salt intake led to lower blood pressure levels but not fewer deaths from heart attacks and strokes -- even in people who already had established heart disease.

Some of the results, salt intake did lower blood pressure as expected, but it caused a 2.5 percent increase in cholesterol and a 7 percent increase triglycerides. The researchers also found dietary salt reduction caused kidneys to produce more enzymes and hormones that regulate the body's salt levels, which in turn cause the body to retain more salt. All these increases were considered significant, and could be harmful for cardiovascular health, the researchers said.

Should Americans stay put when it comes to their salt intake?

"Certainly I would not tell my patients not to lower their sodium because it might then raise your cholesterol," Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told WebMD. "I'd be hard pressed to find other cardiologists who would say that based on this study that they would not recommend low-sodium diets to people, especially those that have hypertension and heart failure."

McDonalds to Offer Holiday Coffee and Hot Chocolate

McDonald's USA introduces two delicious new beverages to its McCafe beverage line today - Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate. The cheerful drinks mark an exciting launch for McCafe, as the brand's first specialty seasonal beverages. New McCafe Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate are in restaurants nationwide just in time for the holidays, available now through January 2, 2012, or until supplies last.

McCafe Peppermint Mocha is the perfect blend of smooth espresso, dark chocolate syrup with a hint of peppermint, and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Customers can also get into the holiday spirit with a decadent McCafe Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Both beverages are customizable, and available with a choice of whole or nonfat milk, and with or without the whipped cream topping.

"Beverages now represent more than 20 percent of sales for McDonald's USA, so it's becoming increasingly important to add new and unique beverage options to the McDonald's menu," said Marta Fearon, McCafe Marketing Director, McDonald's USA. "With the introduction of the decadent Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate, we are pleased to provide customers with a flavorful taste experience that is perfect for the holiday season."

McCafe Beverage Sampling Tour

To celebrate the launch of McCafe Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate, McDonald's is popping up in select locations across the country to surprise and delight consumers with samples of its new holiday beverages. Consumers in select major cities will be rewarded with a McCafe Coffee Break during the busy holiday season, by sampling McDonald's newest McCafe beverages. Be on the lookout for the McCafe Coffee Break Tour in the following cities:

San Francisco, CA (November 7)
Denver, CO (November 11)
Atlanta, GA (November 17)
Chicago, IL (November 19)
Boston, MA (November 23)
Washington D.C. (November 25)

Details on sampling locations and timing in each city will be disclosed via Twitter handles @McCafeYourDay and @McDonalds.

McCafe Peppermint Mocha and McCafe Peppermint Hot Chocolate are available nationwide at participating McDonald's in small (12 oz.), medium (16 oz.) and large (20 oz.) sizes. For more information about the newest McCafe beverages, visit www.mcdonalds.com.

Nutritional Information for McDonald's McRib

It's back for a limited time only.

It's McDonald's McRib sandwich.  I love the McRib, but who doesn't.  Unfortunately it isn't that good for you.

See the chart.

Not good marks from this service.

Coffee Reduces Skin Cancer Risk, Who Knew?

Good news for the coffee addicts especially women drinkers: Consuming copious amounts of the beverage daily may help reduce the risk of the most common type of skin cancer a new study has claimed.

Researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who drank over three cups of coffee daily were 20% less likely to develop basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a slowgrowing form of skin cancer, than those who drank less than one cup a month.

But, men who drank same amount of the beverage saw only a 9% reduction in the disease, found the study. BCC rarely spread to other parts of the body, and rarely return if they are promptly removed.

The study, found an association, not a direct cause-effect link.  So don't get too excited, yet.  But go ahead and have another cup of Joe.

Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Halloween is a time for everyone to have fun, feel like a kid, and eat a little too much candy. If your dogs are like mine, they will eat anything, and chocolate candy is no exception. The difference is, chocolate is poisonous to dogs, and if they eat enough of it, it can kill them. Methylxanthines—the chemicals in chocolate that are dangerous—are similar to caffeine and appear in higher concentrations the darker the chocolate. Just 2-3 ounces of baker's chocolate can make a 50 pound dog very ill.

What happens when dogs eat chocolate? The chemical toxicity results in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, inflammation of the pancreas, an abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and sometimes, even death. In smaller dogs, even the wrappers from candy can result in a secondary obstruction in the stomach or intestines. Remember, it's the dose that makes the poison. Dogs that ingest a few M&Ms or 1-2 bites of a chocolate chip cookie are unlikely to develop chocolate poisoning, but smaller dogs are more sensitive than larger ones.

Common sense tells you to keep your Halloween candy out of the reach of pets, but sometimes accidents happen. The Pet Poison Helpline reported that in 2010, the number of calls of dogs having ingested chocolate during the week of Halloween increased 209% over a typical week. Signs of mild chocolate poisoning can include vomiting and diarrhea. Larger ingestions can cause severe agitation, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures and collapse.

Raisins, sometimes appearing in Halloween candy or just handed out instead of candy, are also extremely poisonous to dogs and can cause kidney failure. If your dog has eaten any amount of raisins, grapes, or currants, you should treat it as a potentially toxic situation and immediately call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline. The poison in raisins is more concentrated than in grapes, so no amount of raisins is too small for you to make a phone call.

In addition, if your dog gets into your candy stash and gobbles it down, consult your veterinarian even if it wasn't chocolate. Large amounts of high sugar, high fat candy is bad for your dog's system and can result in pancreatitis. Signs include decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, and potentially kidney failure. Be sure to consult your veterinarian immediately if any of these signs occur. The Pet Poison Helpline is available at 1.800.213.6680 or www.petpoisonhelpline.com.