The Downside of a Low Salt Diet

I hesitated in making this post. I know this goes against conventional medical guidelines. After having a dramatic effect on my personal health, I decided it may help someone who listens to the podcast.

About two years ago my wife and I started eating much healthier. We try to eat organic, fresh, unprocessed, foods mostly. We cut way back on meat, and red meat especially. We still eat out 2-3 meals a week. My wife always salted her food. I stopped using salt on my food. I noticed times when I would crave salt. But, because of the general medical guidelines to try to eat a low salt diet, I did just that.After adding about a teaspoon of salt a day, I noticed a dramatic difference to how I felt.

This is a podcast by Dr. Hyman interviewing J. DiNicolantonio, PharmD, author of The Salt Fix.

https://soundcloud.com/house-call-with-dr-hyman/the-downside-of-a-low-salt-diet

We are constantly being warned about the harmful effects of salt. All health agencies, government bodies, and dietary guidelines tell us to cut our salt intake to no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). We are told that cutting back on salt saves lives and that the amount of salt consumed by the average American (one and a half teaspoons of salt) puts you at risk. This is based on the assumption that lowering salt intake will lead to a reduction in blood pressure, and that reducing blood pressure will reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Unfortunately, we are only being told one side of the story. The other side of the story is starting to make itself heard—the New York Times, for instance, just covered a study of Russian cosmonauts that hints that there’s more to the story than we’ve been told—but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I have written here about the dangers of insufficient Salt intake. If a person like me is drinking excessive fluids, or in an environment where water is lost more than normal, then the recommendations of only 2,000 or 2,300mg/day, is not enough. I did the same thing you did 30 years ago, tried eating right, and cut out excess sodium just like the Dr's were recommending. I ended up in the Hospital for 3 days, because my Sodium got so low, it could have killed me.

Interesting. My last routine blood test had my sodium on the low side of the normal range.
This podcast also talked about magnesium and magnesium testing.

Yes we need salt but the right kind, Celtic sea salt, it has minerals whereby regular table salt has only sodium and chloride.

Liz

Yep. The podcast also mentioned this. He recommended Redmond Real Salt because it is from an ancient sea bed and it has a good level of iodine.

Interesting topic. It’s well known that the body needs salt or sodium for function but not nearly as much as many people consume… and mostly, unknowingly. For afibbers, we are certainly very conscious of the problems that too much sodium intake can promote….not the least of which is the dominance of intracellular sodium over potassium.

I feel as you do… if I’m too low in sodium, I feel ‘off’ and have low energy. However, as I also experienced, initially, an overload of salty food contributed to my first arrhythmia experience, so I learned early on that I had to be disciplined.

In many discussions on the importance of balancing electrolytes to help maintain stability in cases of arrhythmia, the sodium/potassium ratio connection is both common and also very important. As quoted in CR 72 from 2011, and the work of researcher, Richard D. Moore, MD, PhD, who received his medical degree from Indiana School of Medicine and his doctorate in biophysics from Purdue University and professor emeritus, State University of New York at Plattsburgh:

Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) are critical nutrients, but today’s typical diet might supply 5 times the amount of Na, and only 1/4th the amount of K that we evolved with. In our evolutionary past the kidneys became configured to optimize the body's cellular Na and K levels by conserving the sodium available and by discarding excessive potassium. Our kidneys have essentially not changed since then, but the typical diet is now upside down, with disease-causing consequences for all cells and systems

Therefore, as is so typical, what this means is that we are individuals who have varied lifestyle habits and histories that are strong influences on how our unique body utilizes or processes what we take in via food and how that measures up to the body's actual requirements for optimal function. Many people eat commercially-prepared foods that tend to be high in sodium and they really have no idea of the sodium content…. or potassium, for that matter.

We also know from previous discussions on the science behind the electrical functioning of heart cells that indicates we must have enough potassium for those functions... and, further to that, the potassium can’t perform without an optimal base of magnesium.

So, while we think we aren't getting much sodium intake, very few people take the time to keep a log and document the amount of sodium and potassium they take in from everything that goes into their mouths for a week so they can calculate their specific ratio.

While these books are not new, they offer the biophysics of how sodium and potassium function together if they are in healthy ratios. If not, then various health issues can result which may not be traced (initially) to the imbalance, but author and biophysicist/researcher spells out in detail and in understandable terms the importance of the “K-Factor” which Dr. Moore explains is the “balance in the Ratio of potassium to sodium” and what that means in terms of health consequences if not maintained.

“The High Blood Pressure Solution - Natural Prevention and Cure with the K Factor” Richard D. Moore, MD, PhD and…

“The Salt Solution”

Here are some links as a start for a review of the importance of this topic for afibbers… and anyone else who wants to remain healthy.

CR 72 [www.afibbers.org]
SUBJECT: Potassium/Sodium Ratio in Atrial Fibrillation

[www.drpasswater.com]


Jackie

All very interesting.
I suppliment magnesium and potassium. I now add sea salt to the mix and that it what made the difference for
me. I think the fact I avoid processed foods and do not add salt to food, is what caused me to be low on sodium.

gmperf - I agree with you. I like the Redmond Sea Salt because of the USA mine source and have used that for a long time since I decided I really needed a bit of sodium to help balance out adrenal function and keep up my energy. I don't use much, but really enjoy the taste. And I also add supplemental iodine/iodide since that deficiency was causing enlarged thyroid nodules. Most, have shrunk and are no longer a concern.

Jackie