Salt May Not Be a Demon After All

Med Page Today ^ | 1/19/15 | Sarah Wickline Wallan

[SoFloFreeper]

Increased sodium intake was not associated with higher risk of mortality over the course of 10 years in Medicare patients, Andreas P. Kalogeropoulos, MD, MPH, PhD, of Emory University, and colleagues reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"There's been a lot of controversy recently about the appropriate dietary sodium intake," Scott Hummel, MD, of the University of Michigan, said in an interview. "Low sodium content in the diet might increase the levels of aldosterone and catecholamines and other so-called neurohormones that might contribute to cardiovascular damage."

[eartrumpet]

I spent a few summers working in aluminum reduction plants in the 70s. Standard uniform was a full set of cotton long johns, jeans, and long sleeve flannel shirt. When the hot bath would splash on you or your jeans would catch fire, the soaking wet long johns would give you a mild steam burn instead of charred flesh. In the break room and all over the plant were the cardboard boxes restaurants get that are full of the little salt packs. We were encouraged to eat plenty a day, 8 or 10 weren’t uncommon. My first day at lunch I saw an old timer pour 4 salts into his coke can and drink it as he ate. My first week I was doing the same. When summer was over I left the job and quit the salt with no bad effects.

[duffee]

I always buy “iodized” salt. we have on occasion bought, by accident low sodium canned green beans, you can’t add enough salt to make them taste good.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

A few twists and turns to this. First of all, it is common knowledge that low blood sodium can be bad for you, because it is an essential electrolyte. In physiology, the primary ions of electrolytes are sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), chloride (Cl−), hydrogen phosphate (HPO42−), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO3−). Electrolytes exist in a balance with each other, so too much or too little of any of them can be a problem. The kidneys are in charge of eliminating excess electrolytes. Now this being said, table salt, sodium chloride, is typically good because it contains two of the electrolytes. However, importantly, it is not the only form of sodium out there. A real winner for "high blood pressure in a bag" is Chex Mix, normally consumed around the holidays. This is because it contains no fewer than FIVE different kinds of sodium. Table salt (Sodium chloride) Baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate) Trisodium phosphate Disodium inosinate Disodium guanylate However, there are many more commonly used sodium food additives, like: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Sodium nitrite Sodium nitrate Sodium saccharine Sodium benzoate Sodium aluminosilicate Sodium iodide Sodium iodate Sodium ferrocyanide (anti-caking agent) Sodium fluoride So, properly speaking, before they say that sodium is safe or unsafe at given levels, they need to test each of these forms of sodium individually and in groups. I doubt they have done this.

[Red Badger]

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Ah I’m not the only one. I add salt while cooking oatmeal and then salt it before I put sugar on it. I like the salty sweet taste.

[BikerTrash]

Then how could it lose its flavor?

By dilution or contamination.

I guess I should apologize for being somewhat flippant in my reply #13. Jesus was referencing salt metaphorically as a teaching to His followers, specifically John, if I remember correctly. The teaching is about behavior and actions, not diet.

Nevertheless, He did say that salt was good, and the metaphor falls apart if this is not true.

[BikerTrash]

BTW, FYI, the reference is to The Gospel Of Mark, Chapter 9.

[Ezekiel]

I believe if you try to restrict salt too much, you crave other foods with salt to make up for it. You often end up eating too much of the other foods. In a lot of cases, all these other foods make you fat and unhealthy.

Exactly. It's not the healthy who demand Obamacare, but the sick.

[Ezekiel]

That’s right! It’s very high in iron. I eat the unsweetened baking chocolate straight up. Ghirardelli makes a 100% bar which is delicious and much smoother (although a tad more bitter), but I think it’s high in theobromine. I can notice the difference.

Wish the baking chocolate came in thinner squares though. Some of us clearly understand that it is a major food group, right up there with salt and bacon. :)

[VeniVidiVici]

bump

[Impy]

A few weeks ago one of the Morton silos here in Chi partially collapsed. There was salt everywhere.