What salt does to your gut

+ buying medical debt can be a bargain US Edition - Today's top story: Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [Is TikTok’s parent company an agent of the Chinese state? In China Inc., it’s a little more complicated]( - [Why Fani Willis was allowed to stay on as prosecutor of criminal case against Trump in Georgia – and what happens next]( Salt may not look like much, but for a cook (especially an amateur like me), it’s a magical substance, able to liven up the blandest of dishes. It’s also got a fascinating backstory. Recently, I gave my dad a book about salt’s history as a retirement gift. He doesn’t cook a lot, but he appreciates a good yarn, particularly when it’s about something that has provoked wars, inspired revolutions and served as currency. Perhaps most important, it keeps meat and other foods safe from unwanted microbes. But salt also has a dark side, as mounting evidence suggests too much of it – particularly in processed foods like potato chips and hamburgers – is making people sick. One of the reasons, according to University of Washington gastroenterologist Christopher Damman, is that [salt is poisoning our microbiomes](. “Salt leads to a decrease in healthy microbes and the key metabolites they produce from fiber,” he writes. “These metabolites decrease inflammation in blood vessels and keep them relaxed, contributing to reduced blood pressure.” In the article, one of last week’s most popular, Damman explains the science and offers a few tips on reducing your sodium intake. Unfortunately, he doesn’t address whether it’s OK to follow Samin Nosrat’s advice to make your pasta water as salty as the sea. Maybe he’ll write a follow-up. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks [Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes]( Christopher Damman, University of Washington Salt is an essential nutrient that has helped civilizations flavor and preserve their foods for millennia. Too much dietary salt, however, is linked to a host of health problems. - [What is the Japanese ‘wabi-sabi’ aesthetic actually about? ‘Miserable tea’ and loneliness, for starters]( Paul S. Atkins, University of Washington ‘Wabi’ and ‘sabi’ are Japanese words with long histories, but they are rarely used together in the way Western designers have come to use the term. - [In Kyrgyzstan, creeping authoritarianism rubs up against proud tradition of people power]( Keith Brown, Arizona State University Recent laws and pro-Putin sentiment by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov have sparked concern that the Central Asian country is backsliding on democracy. - [Leprosy cases are rising in the US – what is the ancient disease and why is it spreading now?]( Robert A. Schwartz, Rutgers University People often think of leprosy as a bygone disease, relevant primarily in biblical times. But in fact, it is still present in more than 120 countries, and the US is seeing an uptick in cases. - [What is the Darien Gap? And why are more migrants risking this Latin American route to get to the US?]( Sara McKinnon, University of Wisconsin-Madison More than half a million people made the treacherous crossing in 2023 – far higher than in previous years. Editors' picks [Buyouts can bring relief from medical debt, but they’re far from a cure]( Erin Duffy, University of Southern California Local governments are increasingly buying – and forgiving – their residents’ medical debt. - [For-profit nursing homes are cutting corners on safety and draining resources with financial shenanigans − especially at midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny]( Sean Campbell, The Conversation; Charlene Harrington, University of California, San Francisco Owners of midsize nursing home chains drain billions from facilities, hiding behind opaque accounting practices and harming the elderly as government, which has the power to stop it, falls short. - [Climate change matters to more and more people – and could be a deciding factor in the 2024 election]( Matt Burgess, University of Colorado Boulder Research shows that climate change had a significant effect on voting choices in the 2016 and 2020 elections – and could also influence the 2024 presidential race. - [Vaccine-skeptical mothers say bad health care experiences made them distrust the medical system]( Johanna Richlin, University of Maine Vaccine skepticism, and the broader medical mistrust and far-reaching anxieties it reflects, is not just a fringe position in the 21st century. - [How ‘Dune’ became a beacon for the fledgling environmental movement − and a rallying cry for the new science of ecology]( Devin Griffiths, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences When Frank Herbert sat down in 1963 to start writing ‘Dune,’ he wasn’t thinking about how to leave Earth behind. He was thinking about how to save it. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week, questions on TikTok, Alabama, Canada and John Williams - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](