DEAR DR. GOTT: Wow. After years of good advice, you really blew it today. In your article on water-softener salt, you mentioned 1 teaspoon of salt contains 230 milligrams of sodium. Boy, are you way off. According to my sources, 1 teaspoon is equal to 2,000 milligrams or more! As you know, this is a huge issue in our society, and I’m sure you will set this right as you always do. Sign me a loyal reader, CPR instructor and home-care nurse that frequently copies your articles for home-care patient teaching.

DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent article, you wrote that 1 teaspoon of salt contains 230 milligrams of sodium. The salt that I purchase at Wal-Mart contains 590 milligrams of sodium in 1/4 teaspoon. Morton’s Lite Salt has 290 milligrams of sodium in 1/4 teaspoon. Could you please tell me what salt has only 230 milligrams per teaspoon? My husband is on Aldactone owing to cirrhosis, and we had to stop using the Morton Lite Salt because of the potassium content.

DEAR DR. GOTT: I hope that this was a misprint in today’s Ventura County Star. You said 1 teaspoon of salt had 230 milligrams of sodium. There are actually 590 milligrams of sodium in 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Also, you felt that water softeners were not a hazard to a low-salt diet. This is not the case in my community. My husband has Meniere’s disease, and when he stopped drinking softened tap water, his symptoms were greatly improved.

DEAR DR. GOTT: Your estimate of the amount of sodium (230 milligrams) in a teaspoon of salt is low by a factor of 10.

DEAR READERS: Whew, have I been caught! My original column should have stated 2,300 milligrams, as several of you pointed out, not 230. Somewhere along the way, a zero was dropped, and I owe everyone an apology for the misprint.

While many products and additives may state they are “low salt,” it is extremely important to read labels to ensure this element is not taken in excess. For example, a can of soup is commonly very high in sodium to begin with, and the can may contain 2-1/2 servings, which can be deceiving. In the matter of cirrhosis, kidney disease and congestive heart failure, sodium can lead to a serious buildup of excess fluid.

A healthful, nutritious diet is important for everyone, whether dealing with a medical condition or not. And the best resource is a personal physician who knows your full medical history and can advise accordingly.
While we all like to think we are perfect, I am the first to admit I do make mistakes (and typographical errors). I thank those readers who brought this issue to my attention. I’ll make every effort to do better. Stay tuned, but keep those corrections coming.

Readers who would like additional information on dietary supplements should send for my Health Report “Vitamins and Minerals.” Address your request to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Include a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order, and be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com.

Many of the residents have had to take pills for high blood pressure and were never on them before. Some of these people are over 70 years old. Many of our residents are in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is scary knowing that possibly the salt water in our water system could be causing these problems. A faucet in the basement of our building isn’t connected to the system, so residents go there for a supply. The complex owner says he checked with a doctor who says the amount of salt in the water would not be harmful to us. Do we have a chance of having a real problem here? Should the water be changed?

DEAR READER: Hard water causes a buildup of chemicals in household pipes, stains sinks, discolors laundry, and dries out skin following bathing. That said, the National Research Council has gone on record stating that drinking hard water does not pose health risks. While I don’t know what the condition of the water is in your area, obviously the owner of your complex determined that installing a water-softener system was the best way to go financially in the long run.

The amount of sodium added to any system depends on the hardness of the water, but treated water doesn’t appear to add any significant amount of salt to the diet. Generally speaking, an 8-ounce glass of treated water contains less than 13 milligrams of sodium. The average adult without a history of hypertension requires between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams of sodium each day. With a history of high blood pressure, the recommended amount holds at 1,500 milligrams.

A more likely cause of excessive sodium comes from a person’s diet. One teaspoon of salt contains 230 milligrams of sodium. Adding to that many processed foods, cold cuts, canned goods and soups brings the potential for excessive salt consumption far above the recommended daily allowance.

There is an association between Alzheimer’s dementia and aluminum. Perhaps this is what some of your residents refer to. I cannot find any confirming reports of memory loss, Alzheimer’s or neuropathy caused by water-softening systems. A more likely consideration is that the residents of your establishment are aging and are developing diseases and disorders common to an advanced age. That said, it appears that by making a trip to the basement for drinking water, residents who fear potential side effects can bypass the problem. I would also recommend that residents request a sodium test be added to their next routine lab work when they visit their physicians. Providing they eat a healthful diet and do not cook with or add salt to their meals, this will be one surefire way to resolve one of the issues.

Because of the concerns you raise, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Hypertension” and “Alzheimer’s Disease.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com.