Low-salt diet increases insulin resistance in healthy subjects

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Interesting study:


Low-salt diet increases insulin resistance in healthy subjects.
Garg R1, Williams GH, Hurwitz S, Brown NJ, Hopkins PN, Adler GK., Metabolism. 2011 Jul;60(7)

From Wiki Salt

Quote:

Abstract
Low-salt (LS) diet activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, both of which can increase insulin resistance (IR). We investigated the hypothesis that LS diet is associated with an increase in IR in healthy subjects. Healthy individuals were studied after 7 days of LS diet (urine sodium < 20 mmol/d) and 7 days of high-salt (HS) diet (urine sodium > 150 mmol/d) in a random order. Insulin resistance was measured after each diet and compared statistically, unadjusted and adjusted for important covariates. One hundred fifty-two healthy men and women, aged 39.1 ± 12.5 years (range, 18-65) and with body mass index of 25.3 ± 4.0 kg/m(2), were included in this study. Mean (SD) homeostasis model assessment index was significantly higher on LS compared with HS diet (2.8 ± 1.6 vs 2.4 ± 1.7, P < .01). Serum aldosterone (21.0 ± 14.3 vs 3.4 ± 1.5 ng/dL, P <  .001), 24-hour urine aldosterone (63.0 ± 34.0 vs 9.5 ± 6.5 μg/d, P < .001), and 24-hour urine norepinephrine excretion (78.0 ± 36.7 vs 67.9 ± 39.8 μg/d, P < .05) were higher on LS diet compared with HS diet. Low-salt diet was significantly associated with higher homeostasis model assessment index independent of age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index, serum sodium and potassium, serum angiotensin II, plasma renin activity, serum and urine aldosterone, and urine epinephrine and norepinephrine. Low-salt diet is associated with an increase in IR [insulin resistance]. The impact of our findings on the pathogenesis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease needs further investigation.

sugar addiction - drug-like effects

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Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review

Abstract
In animal studies, sugar has been found to produce more symptoms than is required to be considered an addictive substance. Animal data has shown significant overlap between the consumption of added sugars and drug-like effects, including bingeing, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, cross-sensitisation, cross-tolerance, cross-dependence, reward and opioid effects. Sugar addiction seems to be dependence to the natural endogenous opioids that get released upon sugar intake. In both animals and humans, the evidence in the literature shows substantial parallels and overlap between drugs of abuse and sugar, from the standpoint of brain neurochemistry as well as behaviour.

Vegan psychopath

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Pennsylvania Vegan Loses Food Truck Business After Celebrating Murder of ‘Meat Eaters’ in Las Vegas

Collectivism - protective anti-identity intellectual camouflage

Very interesting discussion, Camille Paglia & Jordan B Peterson

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Very interesting general idea, on the origin of human collectivism. See this discussion in the video, around minute 25 to 26, refering to dr. Robert Sapolsky's work on herd animals.

There are two forms of camouflage: one is to camouflage against the surrounding environment such as grass (i.e. the lions) another is to camouflage against the surrounding herd to become indistinguishable (i.e. zebras).  The authors discuss the emergence of modern academic collectivism and conformity as a form of intellectual  camouflage for the purpose of protecting positions and tenures, making oneself so undistinguishable from each other such as to thwart a potential intellectual attack against any one, making it as difficult as attacking the entire academic herd.