Re: My Family connection to Hyperaldosteronism

March 15, 2008

I don't see that salt has anything to do with religion.

That's a preference.

All you can do is tell them to reduce the salt amount, and lose weight.

Airline, I feel I'm obligated to tell people things, so they can't say, why

didn't you tell me.

Regards.

My Family connection to Hyperaldosteronism

1. I know that my mother said her mother (my grandmother) had to use

no salt becaue her father (my grandfather) had high blood pressure.

2. My father died of a stroke at 80 and my mother died of heart

failure after have a brain tumor removed at 71.

3. My grandmother on my father's side of the family had diabetes

4. upon visiting my 2 cousins after not seeing them for 10 years,

who are the children of my uncle, they both have high blood pressure.

5. my sister does not have high blood pressure, but she has high

cholesterol and so do I. I have very low HDL and her HDL is normal.

So what does this mean?

Should I tell my cousins to get a comprehensive blood panel as well

as renin and aldosterone, and show it to me so I can check the

potassium?

They are both kosher and eat LOTS of salt. The female cousin, age

51, is about 300 pounds and 5'6 " and the male cousin, age 55, is

about 250 pounds and about 5'8 " . Their orthodox Jewish religious

fanatacism to them is more important than their health.

Dr. Grim, and others, please reply. Don't hold back.

March 15, 2008

Greg (think that's your name, if not, sorry!), I know what you mean

about that certain kind of traditional Jewish diet being loaded with

salt. I am of Russian-Polish Jewish descent too. We were not Orthodox

(I am non practicing now) but my family did keep kosher when I was a

kid, until my siblings and I rebelled in our teens and my mother gave

up. When I think of the salt that was fed to me from childhood, I

could scream -- the kosher deli meats, the gefilte fish, matzoh ball

soup, etc etc. We had a salt shaker on the table and I used a ton of

it. All my life I have oversalted my food, but in the past few years

have made an attempt to stop this and now foods seem too salty to me.

My father's father died of heart attack at age 52. My father's mother

had two brothers who suffered early heart attacks and strokes. My

father had a heart attack and triple bypass 13 years ago at age 60.

My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me and when I was

little; she started taking blood pressure meds when she was in her

40s, although I never knew this until she told me 6 years ago, when I

started taking meds. My two sibs, oddly, do not have BP issues, even

though both are very heavy. I am the lucky one with the BP, low K,

adrenal adenoma, PA whatever the hell it is I have.

When I get a definite diagnosis, and if it's PA due to the adenoma, I

am sure I'm going to be told to have an adrenalectomy. But I am not

convinced that my BP issue will be resolved. I think I just have bad

genes and I may well be one of the people who continue to have to be

on meds after an adrenalectomy. So I will be looking for 2nd, 3rd and

10th opinions if it comes to that, because I see no point in having

surgery (if tumor is small as it is now) and still being on meds. May

as well leave it and try to control K and BP with meds.

ANyway -- I also have carpal tunnel issues and have had a flareup

last week after being symptom free for a few years. This coincides

with me being put on Norvasc while I have the inevstigative tests. I

wonder if you had any carpal tunnel issues that coincided with the

Norvasc, or am I being paranoid.

Em

>

> 1. I know that my mother said her mother (my grandmother) had to

use

> no salt becaue her father (my grandfather) had high blood pressure.

>

> 2. My father died of a stroke at 80 and my mother died of heart

> failure after have a brain tumor removed at 71.

>

> 3. My grandmother on my father's side of the family had diabetes

>

> 4. upon visiting my 2 cousins after not seeing them for 10 years,

> who are the children of my uncle, they both have high blood

pressure.

>

> 5. my sister does not have high blood pressure, but she has high

> cholesterol and so do I. I have very low HDL and her HDL is normal.

>

> So what does this mean?

>

> Should I tell my cousins to get a comprehensive blood panel as well

> as renin and aldosterone, and show it to me so I can check the

> potassium?

>

> They are both kosher and eat LOTS of salt. The female cousin, age

> 51, is about 300 pounds and 5'6 " and the male cousin, age 55, is

> about 250 pounds and about 5'8 " . Their orthodox Jewish religious

> fanatacism to them is more important than their health.

>

> Dr. Grim, and others, please reply. Don't hold back.

>

March 15, 2008

Many would not consider the consumption of salted kosher meats a matter of

personal preference. For orthodox and many conservative Jews, it's actually

a religious mandate. Specifically, the Bible sanctions against ingesting

blood and commands the use of salt to draw out the blood.

That said, *Judaism does not look with favor on pious foolishness*. If a

person is starving or has or may have a life-threatening illness or

condition, then they clearly may utilize any food, drink, or medication that

is appropriate for their condition, regardless of whether it contains treif

(food that is not in accord with Jewish law), provided that a convenient

substitute without treif is not easily available. Eating treif in such a

situation is not only permitted, but is mandatory because of the overriding

Biblical obligation to preserve life. Cannibalism, however, is not

permitted in any circumstances whether your friends are salted or not.

-Jeff

That said

On Sat, Mar 15, 2008 at 1:20 PM, jwwright <jwwright@...> wrote:

> I don't see that salt has anything to do with religion.

> That's a preference.

> All you can do is tell them to reduce the salt amount, and lose weight.

> Airline, I feel I'm obligated to tell people things, so they can't say,

> why

> didn't you tell me.

>

> Regards.

>

> My Family connection to Hyperaldosteronism

>

> 1. I know that my mother said her mother (my grandmother) had to use

> no salt becaue her father (my grandfather) had high blood pressure.

>

> 2. My father died of a stroke at 80 and my mother died of heart

> failure after have a brain tumor removed at 71.

>

> 3. My grandmother on my father's side of the family had diabetes

>

> 4. upon visiting my 2 cousins after not seeing them for 10 years,

> who are the children of my uncle, they both have high blood pressure.

>

> 5. my sister does not have high blood pressure, but she has high

> cholesterol and so do I. I have very low HDL and her HDL is normal.

>

> So what does this mean?

>

> Should I tell my cousins to get a comprehensive blood panel as well

> as renin and aldosterone, and show it to me so I can check the

> potassium?

>

> They are both kosher and eat LOTS of salt. The female cousin, age

> 51, is about 300 pounds and 5'6 " and the male cousin, age 55, is

> about 250 pounds and about 5'8 " . Their orthodox Jewish religious

> fanatacism to them is more important than their health.

>

> Dr. Grim, and others, please reply. Don't hold back.

>

March 15, 2008

Speaking of other dietary traditions, the Mediterraneran (Greek) one

with its fish and olives has always appealed to me. I was lucky enough

to be fed oily fish like salmon and sardines from a young age, so they

are staples. Olives too.

It is easy to get unsalted oily fish, the problem is finding

uncontaminated ones. The kosher deli often helps with this.

To get the salt out of canned or bottled olives I soak them in distilled

water, then store them in a brine diluted containing approximately 20%

of the original. This gets me my olives without all that salt.

best,

jwwright wrote:

>

> Well, if I HAD to eat those meats, I would soak them in distilled water to

> get out the salt.

> And please quote the passage where the salt must be ingested.

>

> Regards

>

> Re: My Family connection to

> Hyperaldosteronism

>

> Many would not consider the consumption of salted kosher meats a matter of

> personal preference. For orthodox and many conservative Jews, it's

> actually

> a religious mandate. Specifically, the Bible sanctions against ingesting

> blood and commands the use of salt to draw out the blood.

>

> That said, *Judaism does not look with favor on pious foolishness*. If a

> person is starving or has or may have a life-threatening illness or

> condition, then they clearly may utilize any food, drink, or

> medication that

> is appropriate for their condition, regardless of whether it contains

> treif

> (food that is not in accord with Jewish law), provided that a convenient

> substitute without treif is not easily available. Eating treif in such a

> situation is not only permitted, but is mandatory because of the

> overriding

> Biblical obligation to preserve life. Cannibalism, however, is not

> permitted in any circumstances whether your friends are salted or not.

>

> -Jeff

>

> That said

>

> On Sat, Mar 15, 2008 at 1:20 PM, jwwright <jwwright@...

> <mailto:jwwright%40eastex.net>> wrote:

>

> > I don't see that salt has anything to do with religion.

> > That's a preference.

> > All you can do is tell them to reduce the salt amount, and lose weight.

> > Airline, I feel I'm obligated to tell people things, so they can't say,

> > why

> > didn't you tell me.

> >

> > Regards.

>

March 15, 2008

Well, if I HAD to eat those meats, I would soak them in distilled water to

get out the salt.

And please quote the passage where the salt must be ingested.

Regards