Health
Related: About this forumSalt by the Numbers: A new infographic about sodium consumption
LINK: http://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/salt-in-food/salt-by-the-numbers/
tridim
(45,358 posts)Sodium is necessary for your body to function properly.
Schema Thing
(10,283 posts)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)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)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)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.
Big Blue Marble
(4,978 posts)There is growing evidence to dispute the conventional wisdom about salt intake.
Enough that I have actually added salt to my diet.
http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-04-21/heart-disease-deaths-5-times-higher-with-low-salt-jama-study/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265814.php
Triana
(22,666 posts)From your second link:
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)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)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?