In the 1980s, a low-sodium diet was seen as the gold standard for healthy behavior. In 2026, salt has been repackaged as “electrolytes” and is now cast as a core component of wellness. How did we get here?

Also, an important correction: One pound of butter to one pound of potatoes is Joel Robuchon’s recipe.

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Links!

• The 25 Saltiest Restaurant Meals in America
• Facts, Issues, and Controversies in Salt Reduction for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
• Salt Wars
• The INTERSALT Study: background, methods, findings, and implications
• Sodium reduction
• Sodium Intake Reduction: An Important But Elusive Public Health Goal
• Effects of Diet and Sodium Intake
• Salt intake, stroke, and cardiovascular disease
• Racial and Ethnic Differences in Sodium Sources and Sodium Reduction Behaviors Among US Adults
• The Great Salt Debate: So Bad?
• Salt guidelines draw heavy backlash
• Sodium Reduction in US Households’ Packaged Food and Beverage Purchases
• Blood pressure lowering efficacy of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for primary hypertension

Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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