In early history , primitive man sought out salt. Question: how does low sodium blood levels fit in to an analysis of salt intake needs or effects on body from salt? How much of hypertension is due to excess intake of simple carbohydrate in the case of a great many people?
Why are women more likely to be salt sensitive than men?
This is an important question to consider.
Women carry
more fluid within their body because their physiology is designed to nurture a baby.
Pregnancy requires excellent hydration management. Hydration = SALT + water
Water follows salt into and out of the body. Salt is the cup water must fill to enter and leave.
Morning sickness is another name for hyponatremia or low salt. Every symptom!
PMS is another name for hyponatremia or low salt, every symptom!
Women are deliberately targeted by the WHO salt restriction directive. This is because hyponatremia is managed by the adrenals. This is because hyponatremia is life threatening. The adrenals utilise all the adrenocorticol hormones to normalise the consequences of hyponatremia, not just aldosterone.
The WHO deployed the salt restriction directive because they knew adrenal management reduces fertility. An emergency is not the time to carry a baby. Miscarriages can be caused by acute dehydration.
Low salt consumption lowers population growth.
Chronic hyponatremia or low salt from salt restriction causes chronic adrenal management.
The adrenals are small rocket boosters sitting upon the kidneys. They are designed to be deployed for short bursts. Chronic deployment causes adrenal fatigue or chronic fatigue.
Women are twice as likely to have chronic fatigue than men.
The physiology that distinguishes the salt sensitives, these people have been blessed with adrenals that have grown to cope with their constant use. This makes them very sensitive to salt. There is an over reaction when more salt than usual arrives. As these adrenals are adaptive, I suggest a slow reintroduction to salt will reduce their size and therefore reduce salt sensitivity.
Salt sensitives are usually diagnosed with ‘unexplained’ high blood pressure.
Blood pressure with normal adrenals moves 4-5points.
Salt sensitivities move blood pressure 15-20 points.
How does salt restriction lead to heart dis-ease and fear based reactionary thinking? Is my article. I explain the relationship between the adrenals and kidneys and why salt is vital for our mental/emotional wellbeing.
Salt is vital for hydration and women’s health.
Excerpts
it was found that individuals who perceived their diets as healthy were more likely to comply to dietary guidelines, these individuals were also more likely to be older, women and of higher socioeconomic status.41
Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction.
(Put salt in brackets to see the WHO strategy, best buy in because chronic hyponatremia generates chronic dis-ease)
In 2013, Member States adopted the Global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases 2013-2020, to take coordinated action at all levels, to attain nine voluntary global targets, including a 30% relative reduction in mean population intake of sodium by 2025 with a goal of <2000mg/day. Sodium reduction has since been recognized by WHO as one of the “best buys” in global public health, yielding an estimated return on investment of USD$13-78 for every dollar invested.
My Mom was also an N-1. We moved here from another country in the 1970's and immediately started eating all that good junk food which was not available to us prior to moving. My mother was in her 40s at the time. Within a short time, she was diagnosed with HTN. She started on medication. My mother (a retired nurse) loves to research and did a lot of investigating into salt and HTN. She went on a 500mg sodium diet and was able to get off of her BP medications. After that, she continued with a salt restricted diet, but not as severe. It was only in her 80s that she again required BP meds.
Salt is definitely an issue for some people. I'm not sure 2300mg of sodium daily is enough of a reduction to make a critical difference.
As for my own N-1; it's not my blood pressure, but after eating out I notice a 1-2 lb weight gain the next morning. It's not the dessert; likely it is the sodium in the food causing water retention. Water retention can cause and increase in BP - I haven't studied my BP the next morning, yet.
So much of excessive salt intake is due to processed foods. Seriously, it's hard to consume "too much salt" no matter what your personal tolerance levels are if you are cooking from scratch or eating restaurant prepared meals made the same way. Even if you salt everything to good taste.
For instance, I made a chicken pot pie last night and added a fair amount of salt, as that dish is traditionally a savory, salty meal. I used pastured butter, real cream (no gums or fillers), fresh vegetables, and roasted chicken with homemade chicken stock from the carcass of the chicken. I also deglazed the pan with a little white wine. The result was delicious and the salt content was less than half (!) of a grocery store version without tasting low sodium at all!
The processed versions of these foods use crap ingredients and have to cover up the flavor gap with excessive amounts of salt. There's no balance in the flavor, it's just cheap fats + salt = hits some level of satisfaction.
Most of my clients resolve any sodium issues they have naturally when they start cooking at home again, even though they aren't holding back on salting their dishes to taste.
What I wonder about salt substitution is... How many people get pushed into hyperkalemia... I remember reading that it was common in heart failure, and often fixed by going through the med list and deleting them slow K... Ok less people presumably will need slow K in the first place, but is increasing everyone's K intake always harmless?
Thank you for writing this. Good food for thought. Not sure that people can really study this on their own and that a five week observation doesn’t have significant compounding. In terms of a taste I once read that if manufacturers of soup in the United States dropped sodium content by 10% a year we wouldn’t taste the difference since we’re all giant salt licks in the United States.
You might want to consider the other side of the coin: *POTASSIUM*
Where sodium causes water retention in the extracellular space, potassium simultaneously hydrates the interior of cells, while promoting vasodilation and natriuresis that can relieve hypertension.
Paleolithic peoples, while taking in substantially more plant material and fiber, had a ratio of potassium to salt intake of about 15:1.
Today's average American eats a ratio of 0.8:1! And 3-5x the necessary intake of sodium. While still only consuming about 1/4 of the potassium we did for most of our biological history.
Recent meta-analyses suggest that the majority of the blood pressure-lowering effect in salt-reduction trials is actually driven by the increase in potassium. Adding roughly 5g of potassium to a standard diet has been shown to lower systolic pressure by nearly 8 mmHg—a result often superior to salt restriction alone because potassium actively 'switches off' the kidney's mechanism for retaining salt.
After 40 years of medical practice and reading thousands of articles on hypertension and cardiovascular disease, my advice has remained the same. If one has normal renal function, consume as much salt as desired. People with disorders causing fluid retention may control it better by limiting salt intake. Practically all the studies cited fail to pass scientific muster. They are observational and quote relative risk reductions based on data that are highly questionable to begin with.
When something looks contradictory, don’t choose a side—look at the physiology.
Ask where the constraint is: supply, transport, or cellular use.
That’s usually where the paradox resolves.
Nice article. One big lesson is how unique each of us are. Big reason for having a family doc who knows you. I always said it took me a year or two.
In early history , primitive man sought out salt. Question: how does low sodium blood levels fit in to an analysis of salt intake needs or effects on body from salt? How much of hypertension is due to excess intake of simple carbohydrate in the case of a great many people?
Why are women more likely to be salt sensitive than men?
This is an important question to consider.
Women carry
more fluid within their body because their physiology is designed to nurture a baby.
Pregnancy requires excellent hydration management. Hydration = SALT + water
Water follows salt into and out of the body. Salt is the cup water must fill to enter and leave.
Morning sickness is another name for hyponatremia or low salt. Every symptom!
PMS is another name for hyponatremia or low salt, every symptom!
Women are deliberately targeted by the WHO salt restriction directive. This is because hyponatremia is managed by the adrenals. This is because hyponatremia is life threatening. The adrenals utilise all the adrenocorticol hormones to normalise the consequences of hyponatremia, not just aldosterone.
The WHO deployed the salt restriction directive because they knew adrenal management reduces fertility. An emergency is not the time to carry a baby. Miscarriages can be caused by acute dehydration.
Low salt consumption lowers population growth.
Chronic hyponatremia or low salt from salt restriction causes chronic adrenal management.
The adrenals are small rocket boosters sitting upon the kidneys. They are designed to be deployed for short bursts. Chronic deployment causes adrenal fatigue or chronic fatigue.
Women are twice as likely to have chronic fatigue than men.
The physiology that distinguishes the salt sensitives, these people have been blessed with adrenals that have grown to cope with their constant use. This makes them very sensitive to salt. There is an over reaction when more salt than usual arrives. As these adrenals are adaptive, I suggest a slow reintroduction to salt will reduce their size and therefore reduce salt sensitivity.
Salt sensitives are usually diagnosed with ‘unexplained’ high blood pressure.
Blood pressure with normal adrenals moves 4-5points.
Salt sensitivities move blood pressure 15-20 points.
How does salt restriction lead to heart dis-ease and fear based reactionary thinking? Is my article. I explain the relationship between the adrenals and kidneys and why salt is vital for our mental/emotional wellbeing.
Salt is vital for hydration and women’s health.
Excerpts
it was found that individuals who perceived their diets as healthy were more likely to comply to dietary guidelines, these individuals were also more likely to be older, women and of higher socioeconomic status.41
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8031068/
Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction.
(Put salt in brackets to see the WHO strategy, best buy in because chronic hyponatremia generates chronic dis-ease)
In 2013, Member States adopted the Global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases 2013-2020, to take coordinated action at all levels, to attain nine voluntary global targets, including a 30% relative reduction in mean population intake of sodium by 2025 with a goal of <2000mg/day. Sodium reduction has since been recognized by WHO as one of the “best buys” in global public health, yielding an estimated return on investment of USD$13-78 for every dollar invested.
https://www.who.int/activities/reducing-population-sodium-salt-intakes
My Mom was also an N-1. We moved here from another country in the 1970's and immediately started eating all that good junk food which was not available to us prior to moving. My mother was in her 40s at the time. Within a short time, she was diagnosed with HTN. She started on medication. My mother (a retired nurse) loves to research and did a lot of investigating into salt and HTN. She went on a 500mg sodium diet and was able to get off of her BP medications. After that, she continued with a salt restricted diet, but not as severe. It was only in her 80s that she again required BP meds.
Salt is definitely an issue for some people. I'm not sure 2300mg of sodium daily is enough of a reduction to make a critical difference.
As for my own N-1; it's not my blood pressure, but after eating out I notice a 1-2 lb weight gain the next morning. It's not the dessert; likely it is the sodium in the food causing water retention. Water retention can cause and increase in BP - I haven't studied my BP the next morning, yet.
Thanks for the great N of 1 anecdote!
So much of excessive salt intake is due to processed foods. Seriously, it's hard to consume "too much salt" no matter what your personal tolerance levels are if you are cooking from scratch or eating restaurant prepared meals made the same way. Even if you salt everything to good taste.
For instance, I made a chicken pot pie last night and added a fair amount of salt, as that dish is traditionally a savory, salty meal. I used pastured butter, real cream (no gums or fillers), fresh vegetables, and roasted chicken with homemade chicken stock from the carcass of the chicken. I also deglazed the pan with a little white wine. The result was delicious and the salt content was less than half (!) of a grocery store version without tasting low sodium at all!
The processed versions of these foods use crap ingredients and have to cover up the flavor gap with excessive amounts of salt. There's no balance in the flavor, it's just cheap fats + salt = hits some level of satisfaction.
Most of my clients resolve any sodium issues they have naturally when they start cooking at home again, even though they aren't holding back on salting their dishes to taste.
The Chinese study supports the potassium is helpful hypothesis. I look forward to seeing more work in this space moving forward.
Thanks for your kind words-perhaps subscribe (for free...) to see other hopefully fresh takes on common views....
What I wonder about salt substitution is... How many people get pushed into hyperkalemia... I remember reading that it was common in heart failure, and often fixed by going through the med list and deleting them slow K... Ok less people presumably will need slow K in the first place, but is increasing everyone's K intake always harmless?
Thank you for writing this. Good food for thought. Not sure that people can really study this on their own and that a five week observation doesn’t have significant compounding. In terms of a taste I once read that if manufacturers of soup in the United States dropped sodium content by 10% a year we wouldn’t taste the difference since we’re all giant salt licks in the United States.
You might want to consider the other side of the coin: *POTASSIUM*
Where sodium causes water retention in the extracellular space, potassium simultaneously hydrates the interior of cells, while promoting vasodilation and natriuresis that can relieve hypertension.
Paleolithic peoples, while taking in substantially more plant material and fiber, had a ratio of potassium to salt intake of about 15:1.
Today's average American eats a ratio of 0.8:1! And 3-5x the necessary intake of sodium. While still only consuming about 1/4 of the potassium we did for most of our biological history.
Don't get me started on MAGNESIUM!!!!
Recent meta-analyses suggest that the majority of the blood pressure-lowering effect in salt-reduction trials is actually driven by the increase in potassium. Adding roughly 5g of potassium to a standard diet has been shown to lower systolic pressure by nearly 8 mmHg—a result often superior to salt restriction alone because potassium actively 'switches off' the kidney's mechanism for retaining salt.
I love “joyspan”
Love it! Thanks for this!
After 40 years of medical practice and reading thousands of articles on hypertension and cardiovascular disease, my advice has remained the same. If one has normal renal function, consume as much salt as desired. People with disorders causing fluid retention may control it better by limiting salt intake. Practically all the studies cited fail to pass scientific muster. They are observational and quote relative risk reductions based on data that are highly questionable to begin with.
Great anecdote. Thanks so much!
Good theory, likely no evidence to support it...so I will remain skeptical...