The war on salt. Is salt really as bad as we thought?
Salt.? The bad guy that raises your blood pressure, keeps you bloated, and causes you to feel thirsty.? But is salt all evil?? Or is it evil at all?? The answer is…. it's complicated.? But let’s start at the beginning.??
What is Salt?
Pythagoras once said: “Salt is born of the purest of parents: the Sun and the Sea."
Salt is a mineral — a natural resource.? It is a crystal-like form that comes from many different places. You may be familiar with some of the fancy salts available —Kosher, Himalayan, Black, and Red, for example.? But the most common form of salt is found in the shaker on your table: table salt.????
Table salt, the most basic form of salt, is two chemicals: 40% sodium and 60% chloride.?
So if Salt is Salt, What is Sodium?
Understanding the difference between salt and sodium is important.? These two words are often used for one another, but they are not the same.???
Many people don’t hear about sodium until blood pressure becomes a problem. But the truth is your body needs sodium.? It’s an essential mineral.? Without sodium we die.??
Sodium helps your body:
The question is although your body needs sodium, how much does it need.
How much sodium does my body need?
The amount of sodium to keep you alive is low — only about 500 mg.? However, how much to keep you healthy is another question. And it’s quite controversial, we’ll dive into this later.?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 5,300 mg of salt (about one teaspoonful) — which is 2,300 mg of sodium — per day.? However the AHA is moving to an even lower goal of no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.????
Salt is our main source of sodium, but it is not the only source.? A food can be low in salt, but still have sodium. Sodium can also come from other ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarb (baking sodium), sodium nitrate, and sodium citrate.? So reading food labels is important
The balancing act: little salt but too much sodium?
“Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all” -Nelson Mandela
We all eat, so we know how important it is to have a food and salt balance.? When salt is out of? balance, the dish is ruined. When cooking, the goal is to have the right amount of salt with ingredients and food.?
The problem is most of the salt in our diet doesn’t come from “the shaker on your table” or home-cooked foods.??
Salt is a cheap and easy way to make food taste good, last longer, and cover chemical flavors; therefore, it is used abundantly in processed foods.? Eating processed foods
Sodium is essential but balance is critical
Now that we know sodium is essential to life, what happens when it’s not in balance with your body's other electrolytes — like potassium? What happens when there’s too much?? r to little? (Yes, it’s a thing”). The balance of sodium in your body is critical. But it's complicated—even more complicated than getting the right balance of salt when you’re cooking… if you can imagine.??
There are many studies that have conflicting information, and many thoughts on how much is healthy.? Overall, there are a few common areas of agreement:
Sodium is the Yin to Potassium’s Yang
Sodium is a lot of things, but a lone ranger, it is not.? It is always coupled with something else.? For blood pressure control, the balance of sodium and potassium is most important. ? The World Health Organization’s (WHO) first key fact on salt reduction says,? “high sodium and insufficient potassium contribute to high blood pressure”.
Multiple studies have shown when you eat a diet higher in potassium than sodium, blood pressure is lower.? Eating enough potassium has shown to ?protect against the harms of high sodium. ? One study showed people who ate the most potassium had a 20% lower risk of dying.??
How do you maintain a diet high in potassium?? Simple, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.? These are naturally low in sodium and higher in potassium. ? However, please do not take potassium supplements unless instructed by your doctor.? Potassium has many roles in your body, but taking high levels of potassium through supplements can lead to negative effects up to death.?
Does a high-sodium diet truly raise your blood pressure???
Yes.?
High sodium is defined by WHO as more than 2 grams (2,000mg) per day. ? Overall studies show that when people eat a high sodium diet, they will see an increase in blood pressure.? But this is where the agreement ends.??
The obvious conclusion is that if it raises your blood pressure, then it can make you sick by increasing your risk of heart disease and death. ? But some studies — like the Framingham heart study — show a very small increase in blood pressure and risks, while many other studies show larger increases in blood pressure and bad outcomes. ? This may be because some people are salt sensitive while others are salt resistant.??
Can going too low be harmful??
Some studies have shown a J or U shaped curve when comparing sodium and bad outcomes.? This means when sodium was either high or low the outcome was the same: negative. ? When sodium was in the middle, there were less negative outcomes.? ? More recent studies have questioned those results based on how the sodium was measured.???
The relationship between heart failure and sodium is mixed and may follow the same J or U shaped curve. ? The data has ranged from either a low sodium diet (about 1,800 mg/day) having negative outcomes, or low to moderate sodium diet showing small to large symptom improvements. ? Heart failure is a serious and complex condition, and you should always follow your doctor's directions.?
There are also mixed results on how a low sodium diet affects our body's response to insulin. ? Studies using extremely low sodium, 240 mg to 920 mg per day have shown increased insulin resistance (body does not respond to insulin).? ? But like the J or U curve, when sodium was increased insulin resistance was better until sodium levels were high.?
When might an extra pinch of salt be ok
When is a little more salt ok?? Athletes doing vigorous exercise usually supplement with sodium and other electrolytes to replenish what’s?lost. Also, low ketogenic diets might benefit from some salt supplementation.? When you are restricting carbs, the body is getting rid of electrolytes like salt and potassium.? This can lead to feeling tired and foggy, “keto flu.” ? In either case, it is still important to keep an eye on your overall sodium intake
The bottom line is everyone can benefit from eating less processed (high sodium) foods, more fruits and vegetables (high potassium), and more home-cooked meals.
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