CTV.ca News Staff

Updated: Wed. Feb. 11 2004 9:13 PM ET

Forget about chugging those eight glasses of water a day and concentrate on holding the salt. That's the message in a new North American nutrition report.

With studies raising the alarm that North Americans are eating their way to strokes, kidney disease and high blood pressure, the U.S. Institute of Medicine and Health Canada are recommending big changes.

In a report released Wednesday, the growing obsession with fat and carbohydrates is highlighted as a factor in breeding complacency on another known threat -- salt.

It's a vital part of our diet, but one that many are overdoing.

Too much salt causes blood pressure to rise. As blood pressure goes up, so does the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

The solution, according to the Institute of Medicine, is a drastic reduction in the amount of people should consume daily.

The U.S. government currently recommends the equivalent of a heaping teaspoon of salt -- about 2,400 milligrams a day. The new maximum it suggests most people should allow themselves is 1,500 mg.

The report says people over 50 year old should aim for 1,300 mg, and 1,200 mg for those over 70.

The advice may have little effect, however, as studies show the average person eats more than 4,000 mg a day.

Another of the report's surprising findings bursts the bubble on a commonly held belief -- that to stay healthy, one must "drink at least eight glasses of water a day."

Counting the glasses is unnecessary, the report says.

Because all sources of water, including food and other beverages count towards the 3.7 litres of water men must drink daily, it's not necessary to down glass after glass.

Women, too, must get their 2.7 litre daily requirement. Just drink when you're thirsty, the group says.

And for those looking for a recommended snack, the report suggests a banana might be a good choice. Along with spinach, cantaloupe and a host of other fruit and vegetables, they are rich in potassium -- a nutrient critical in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.
© Copyright 2003 Bell Globemedia Inc.