814 Health News Update

We’ve long been told that we should all be eating less salt, though it is difficult to change everyone’s eating habits. A new study from Belgium suggests that maybe it’s not such a great idea for everybody to cut down on sodium.
Walnuts are delicious, and it turns out they are also exceptionally high in antioxidants. We talk with the chemist who uncovered this fact.
Dozens of minor ailments benefit more from common sense or traditional wisdom than from costly prescription drugs. What are your favorite home remedies?
Guest: Jan Staessen, MD, PhD, FESC, FAHA, is Professor of Medicine and Head of the Studies Coordinating Centre of the Laboratory of Hypertension at the Campus Sint Rafael in Leuven, Belgium. The research on sodium, blood pressure and fatal outcomes was conducted by the European Project on Genes in Hypertension and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on May 4, 2011. The photo is of Dr. Staessen.
Joe Vinson, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Scranton. His research on antioxidants in walnuts was presented at the meeting of the American Chemical Society.
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. Podcasts can be downloaded for free for six weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.