Valley Health Magazine

by Susan Andresen

Salt is the world’s oldest food additive. Some say that salt is the favorite ingredient of Americans, and many have acquired a taste for a high salt diet. Would you say it is as valuable as your salary? In Tibet, Marco Polo noted that tiny cakes of salt were pressed with images of the Grand Khan and used as coins. Salt is still used as money among the nomads of Ethiopia’s Danakil Plains. The word “salary” was derived from the word “salt.” Salt was highly valued and its production was legally restricted in ancient times, so it was historically used as a method of trade and currency. The word “salad” also originated from “salt,” and began with the early Romans salting their leafy greens and vegetables.

By Cindy Cervantes, NP/PA

Except during the 1918 flu pandemic, cardiovascular disease has been the No. 1 killer in the United States every year for more than a century.

Of all the people who die of heart attacks, about half die within the first hour after the onset of signs and symptoms. It is important to learn as much as possible of the number one killer and become proactive about your health.