HealthWatch: High Salt Diets Weaken Heart; Yoga To Treat Depression

BOSTON (CBS) - The typical American eats enough salt on a daily basis to hurt their heart.

Researchers looked at almost 3,000 adults and found that about half of them consumed more than 3.7 grams of sodium each day, which is about 2 teaspoons of salt.

In addition, scientists found that eating more than 3.7 grams of sodium a day is enough to weaken the heart over time.

A high salt diet can raise blood pressure. High blood pressure puts strain on the heart leading to enlargement of the chambers of the heart and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood.

Unfortunately, even if we don't add table salt to our food, we're still getting it in processed foods like bread, chips, soups, and fast food. And it is generally recommended that adults should not consume more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day.

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Yoga is not only good for your body but also for your mind, especially if you suffer from depression.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital looked at 29 adults who participated in twice-weekly Bikram or "heated" yoga for eight weeks and found that they reported fewer symptoms of depression as well as a better quality of life, more optimism, and improved cognitive and physical functioning.

At this point, however, yoga should not replace standard treatments for depression like therapy and medication, but it certainly could be used to compliment those treatments.