Sodium is a mineral that is essential for health. Sodium works with potassium to make our muscles contract. It is also a key electrolyte in our blood. It manages proper water levels in our cells and keeps us from dehydrating. Sodium is essential for our hearts to beat and our nervous systems to work properly. For another source about the health benefits of sodium read here and here.
It’s true that many American’s overdo salt. But as more and more of us turn away from processed and pre-packaged foods, that becomes less of a concern. Daily recommended allowance is below 2300 mg a day or about 1 teaspoon of salt. Sodium occurrs naturally in milk and is added to many dairy products like cheese, butter and cottage cheese. It is high in commercially canned soups and broths, pickles, potato chips, soy sauce, and other condiments.
When I was on my road to health, my doctor put me on salt pills. My blood pressure was at dangerously low levels from a variety of reasons, one being too little sodium in my diet. Now that I am eating real food again, I no longer take salt pills, but I do generously salt my food to taste.
Some people have a higher need for salt than others: Those who live or work in a hot dry environment where they sweat constantly; those who perform large amounts of sweat causing exercise or do weight training; those recovering from a illness that caused dehydration; pregnant women; those naturally requiring more salt; and those recovering from blood loss are a few.
If you are otherwise healthy with a normal or below normal blood pressure, and little risk for stroke, adopting a low sodium diet is not necessary and may be harmful. This is definitely something to discuss with your doctor before you jump in making drastic dietary changes.
While it is true that taking in too much sodium can cause water retention; taking in sugar causes it more! There’s no such thing as eating too little refined sugar and adopting a low sugar diet won’t harm anyone. Eating sugar can also raise your bad cholesterol levels, so if you feel the need to eliminate a food without consulting your doctor–start there.
When you are eating adquate amounts of sodium, It is essential that enough water is also taken in to aid the kidneys when salt is present in the diet. It is also essential that sodium and potassium are eaten in a good balance (5 x the amount of potassium to sodium) to keep the muscles working effectively. For more information on the sodium potassium pump read here and here.
Which Salt?
Not all salts are created equal. Plain iodized table salt is very cheap, (25 cents a can), but it is also highly refined and stripped of most of it’s natural minerals. In addition the extra iodine can lead to too much iodine in parts of the world like ours where salty food is abundant. Unrefined sea salt is better, made from evaporating sea water which leaves the salt behind and contains more natural minerals. There are other types of salt like Himalayan Crystal salt which are touted to have even more minerals. Use what seems right to you.
