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Salt by the Numbers: A new infographic about sodium consumption (Original Post) Triana Dec 2013 OP
Except in extreme cases, if you drink enough water sodium intake isn't a health concern. tridim Dec 2013 #1
huh? Where did you get that idea? Schema Thing Dec 2013 #2
Yes it is necessary, and people now have the idea that it isn't. tridim Dec 2013 #7
Uh, that's bogus Warpy Dec 2013 #5
I didn't say high salt diets are healthy. tridim Dec 2013 #6
"Heart Disease Deaths 5 Times Higher With Lower Salt: JAMA Study." Big Blue Marble Dec 2013 #3
But high-sodium diets do cause HBP and stroke. Triana Dec 2013 #4
As a person who has personally avoided salt for decades, Big Blue Marble Dec 2013 #8
I recall reading some years ago SheilaT Dec 2013 #9

tridim

(45,358 posts)
1. Except in extreme cases, if you drink enough water sodium intake isn't a health concern.
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 12:55 PM
Dec 2013

Sodium is necessary for your body to function properly.

Schema Thing

(10,283 posts)
2. huh? Where did you get that idea?
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 01:44 PM
Dec 2013

Known issues aside, just from a evolutionary standpoint.... what are the chances that beings that evolved getting comparatively very little salt in their diet are not going to have health issues with a diet that puts large quantities of salt in every.single.thing we eat?



And yes, sodium is necessary for proper body functioning. So are lots of things that can kill you quickly or slowly.

tridim

(45,358 posts)
7. Yes it is necessary, and people now have the idea that it isn't.
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 05:05 PM
Dec 2013

They think it's poison, which is a dangerous thing to believe if you plan on keeping your cells alive.

Eat sodium (as in, don't cut it out of your diet), drink lots of plain water, and you'll have healthy electrolyte levels.

Cut out either, and you're asking for trouble. I wish these articles would mention that, just once.

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
5. Uh, that's bogus
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 04:28 PM
Dec 2013

It doesn't matter how much liquid you consume trying to dilute all that extra sodium, it is still going to cause you problems as your kidneys struggle to excrete it all.

A better idea is to learn to cook so you can limit your exposure to high sodium processed foods.

High salt diets are deadly. If you're well off in a first world country, you can compensate with a handful of pills. If you're not well off, you'll die a lot younger.

tridim

(45,358 posts)
6. I didn't say high salt diets are healthy.
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 04:57 PM
Dec 2013

I just said that drinking water will keep you healthy and balanced with regard to sodium intake. Most people (I know) don't drink nearly enough water to balance a typical daily sodium intake.

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
4. But high-sodium diets do cause HBP and stroke.
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 02:56 PM
Dec 2013

From your second link:

Not only can its high levels of sodium increase the risk of hypertension, it also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease.

Just one single teaspoon of salt contains 2,325 mg of sodium, higher than the recommended daily intake of 2,300 mg for those aged under 50, and significantly higher than the 1,500 mg a day recommended for those aged 51 and over.


However, salt also contains chloride - an electrolyte that works with potassium, sodium and carbon dioxide in order to maintain the correct balance of body fluids, as well as maintaining the body's acid-based balance.


This means high sodium levels ARE still dangerous -- while the electrolyte chloride is still needed in some amount along with other electrolytes.

Low-sodium diet doesn't mean NO salt. It just means a decreased amount of it. We need salt and electrolytes to live. The issue arises when the amount of sodium consumed is too extreme.

Big Blue Marble

(4,978 posts)
8. As a person who has personally avoided salt for decades,
Mon Dec 16, 2013, 10:24 PM
Dec 2013

the question is how much salt is healthy. Maybe more than we think. And there
maybe risks of cutting back too much. The research showing those with the lowest
intake maybe at the greatest mortality risk should give us pause.

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
9. I recall reading some years ago
Wed Dec 18, 2013, 05:20 AM
Dec 2013

that it was not really possible to overdose on salt. Excess amounts were excreted.

And trying to get pregnant women to severely limit salt intake simply led to an epidemic of eclampsia, because a certain minimum of salt is essential to maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

So I happily consume all the salt I want. "Salt to taste" is a realistic suggestion.

I cheerfully consume large amounts of salt. I'm amazingly healthy. Coincidence?

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