Health news about salt, alcohol, and healthy fats

In this article, we combined several health news that made the headlines this week and can be of interest before the holiday season and further. You can either watch the video or read our summary below.

Alcohol and heartbeat rate

Our first news is about alcohol. When we are entering a holiday season, a drink or two per day is certainly not out of the norm. After all, we have heard that an occasional drink can actually be good for health. But beware of a condition called “holiday heart”. That is when binge drinkers feel a flutter or irregular heartbeat after too many cocktails. A recent study of almost 900.000 people found an 8% risk of an irregular heartbeat with each drink consumed per day. Both men and women are equally at risk. So the study’s authors say that people with a history of atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm characterized by rapid and irregular beating) should avoid or limit consumption of the alcohol.

Have we been wrong about salt?

Other interesting news is about salt. It is a known fact that you need to watch your salt intake to keep your heart healthy. It had been advised for years to reduce salt consumption for those who have high blood pressure. But the newest study shows that a diet too low in sodium may actually increase the risk of a cardiovascular disease. The study included over 130.000 people from whom about a half had high blood pressure. According to the study, those who ate 7 grams of salt per day have not had an increased risk of disease or death but those who ate less than 3 grams had a 26% increased risk of death or cardiovascular events like heart disease or stroke. Meanwhile, the current guidelines recommend 2.3 grams or about a teaspoon of salt a day for adults, even less for elderly and those with high blood pressure.

Fatty acids can help beating cancer

The third news worth sharing is about essential fatty acid that can be a key to battling cancer. A recent study shows that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, may boost the cancer-fighting power of a new drug. The scientists found that DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) combined with the oral cancer drug Regorafenib reduce the ability of kidney cancer cells to invade other cells and also slow their growth. Kidney cancers often mutate and resist therapies but the researchers think that the addition of DHA to the therapy could have a positive effect and maybe combat that resistance.