Lesson #5 - Keep The Salt Shaker Handy!
(A five 2.5 min read)
In this lesson, I will explain why limiting salt may actually be harmful to one’s health. Because the drive to limit salt intake as a public health policy is so strong, the statement I just made may sound unbelievable. However, as you have seen so far, I back all the assertions I make with scientific evidence.
The fact of the matter is that both chloride and sodium, which make up table salt, are essential for human health, and together with 3 other minerals as revealed later work closely, hand-in-hand, to keep us healthy. Limiting any of these minerals may harm you.
Where did the assault on salt come from?
Perhaps, it came from a wrong conclusion drawn from the findings of the Interstate study. Interstate was the name assigned to an observational study, where researchers assessed the salt intake and salt excreted in the urine of people in 52 regions of the world and observed how it correlated to blood pressure levels.
Salt intake in the majority of regions ranged between 1.3 and 2 tsp. per day (7-10 grams). Generally, lower salt intake was actually correlated with higher blood pressure (HBP), with the exception of four regions where the intake was the lowest and HBP was low. I am not sure the findings in these four regions, which represented an anomaly, should be sufficient to suggest that high intake is associated with HBP. There were other aspects to the study that may warrant further questioning of the conclusion drawn, but I don’t want to bore you with a long scientific discussion.
What is the actual impact of salt restriction on health?
Plenty of research reveals that salt restriction contributes to poor health. The title of a 2008 scientific review of 167 published studies in the Journal, Hypertension asserted: “Dietary salt restriction increases plasma lipoprotein (cholesterol) and inflammatory marker concentrations in hypertensive patients.”
Further evidence that salt restriction might actually raise blood pressure comes from the work of the researcher David McCarron. As stated in an old article by Dr. Ray Peat Ph.D., one of my favorite scientists: “About 25 years ago, David McCarron, (a university researcher), noticed that the government’s data on diet and hypertension showed that the people who ate the most salt had the lowest blood pressure, and those who ate the least salt had the highest pressure. He showed that a calcium deficiency, rather than a sodium excess, was the most likely nutritional explanation for hypertension.”
Why might salt restriction be harmful?
Both sodium and chloride play important roles in our health.
Sodium (working closely with potassium) is important for the healthy function of nerve cells, nerve fibers, and muscles. Sodium also helps with the passage of various nutrients, including carbohydrates, magnesium, and vitamin C into the cells.
Too little sodium can increase the hormones renin and adrenaline, hormones, that when elevated, can contribute to a variety of health issues, including insulin resistance, inflammation, HBP, and aging.
Chloride is needed to regulate a healthy acid/alkaline balance in the body -a slight deviation can be fatal. It is also needed for healthy muscle function, production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach (needed for the digestion of protein), and more.
Most salt consumption comes from processed, junk, and restaurant food, food that is prepared with and contains lots of PUFA, and often iron. Food that is frequently devoid of vitamins and minerals. So, is it the salt that is harmful, or could it be these other factors?
In addition to calcium, also important ate potassium and magnesium for the management of blood pressure, and these three minerals along with sodium work hand-in-hand in various cellular functions. Again, these are the types of nutrients that may be absent from processed food, which is often prepared with added salt. In fact, published nutrition surveys of populations reveal that the average daily intake of these three nutrients is lower than the actual requirements are for maintaining good health. This means that high blood pressure has more to do with not meeting the required daily intake for these nutrients, which regulate blood pressure, than consuming too much salt.
How do some populations that consume lots of salt fare?
Consider that in some areas in Japan, average salt consumption is more than 11 grams per day (twice the current daily recommendation in the West), and the average lifespan is the second highest in the world.
Several studies have shown that higher salt intake increases metabolism, which correlates positively with health and longevity. Salt can also help improve sleep quality.
I think that in order to support healthy blood pressure, it is more important to focus on getting sufficient amounts of magnesium, potassium, and calcium, rather than restricting salt. That is a much more constructive strategy to support healthy blood pressure levels.
In conclusion, take the recommendations about salt with a grain of salt!!!
To consult with me about high blood pressure or any other related health issue please reach out. What else might be causing chronic disease and premature aging?
Up next, the third leading cause of premature death in the West, and it is not even a disease.
