Will Anyone Stand up for Salt? newsletter Al Sears, MD

A recent eight-year study of people with high blood pressure found that people on low-salt diets had more than four times as many heart attacks as those on normal salt diets.

Salt maintains the electrolyte balance inside and outside your cells and natural salt contains vital minerals your body needs.

Here are just a few more of the many benefits of salt…
Stimulates salivation and helps to balance and replenishes all of the body’s electrolytes
Provides renewed energy
Gives you a high resistance to infections and bacterial diseases
Supplies all 82 vital trace minerals to promote optimum biological function and cellular maintenance
Balances alkaline/acid levels in the blood
Restores good digestion
The natural iodine in salt protects against radiation and many other pollutants
Aids in relieving allergies and skin diseases
Eliminates toxins in the body to help prevent infection
With all the negative press on salt, how could this be?

Ignore the Government and Stick With Your Gut
When I was in med school we were taught that salt causes high blood pressure and you read about the evils of salt everywhere you turned. The reason doesn’t appear to be science but that there’s just not much money in naturally occurring salt compared to proprietary foods and drugs.

There’s a lot of money in altering your food. But here’s the catch – first they have to convince you that the natural food we’ve been eating for eons will kill you – now you have to buy their new-fangled package of modern substitute food.

Even so, when I looked at the results used to justify the "salt is bad" campaign I was shocked. The studies I discovered showed exactly the opposite of what you'd heard.

Here’s a summary:
A health outcomes study in Finland, reported to the American Heart Association, revealed that no health benefits could be identified and concluded “our results do not support the recommendations for entire populations to reduce dietary sodium intake to prevent coronary heart disease."

A ten-year follow-up study to a massive Scottish Heart Health Study found no improved health outcomes for those on low-salt diets.

An October 2007 analysis of a large Dutch database published in the European Journal of Epidemiology documented no benefit of low-salt diets in reducing stroke or heart attack incidence nor lowering death rates.

hmmmm, now I wonder why ??????????? did the Dutch newspaper just recently say that we, the Dutch people , are having a shortage of Iodine because we eat seasalt ? Could it be ....... ah no Pinky you should not think this but still it is possible that because, There’s a lot of money in altering our food. But here’s the catch – first they have to convince you that the natural food we’ve been eating for eons will kill you – now you have to buy their new-fangled package of modern substitute food.

Get the Real “Salt of the Earth”
Standard table salt is not only highly refined—it’s chemically cleansed and unfriendly to the human body. Unrefined sea salt, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring complex of sodium chloride and a complement of essential trace minerals.

This is the form of salt your body is designed to digest—the kind of salt that’s been around since humans first walked the earth. Refined table salt, on the other hand, is a modern invention, artificially designed to look white and pour easily. Your body was never meant to absorb it.

Natural salt is a source of 21 essential and 30 accessory minerals that are essential to our health. That’s why I use sea salt. It’s unrefined and packed with all the trace elements the ancients prized for maintaining health and vigor.

Here are just a few of the key minerals and elements you’ll find in most sea salts:

Mineral
Function

Chloride
Chloride, along with sodium, regulates the acid/alkali balance in the body. It is also necessary for the production of gastric acid which is a component of hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Iron
Necessary for cell function and blood utilization. It's used to make hemoglobin, which carried oxygen in the blood. Blood loss is the most common cause of iron deficiency.

Sulfur
Found in all cells, especially in skin, connective tissues, and hair. Inadequate dietary sulfur has been associated with skin and nail diseases. Increased intake of dietary sulfur sometimes helps psoriasis and rheumatic conditions.

Calcium
Necessary for the formation and maintenance of bones, blood coagulation, and heart, nerve and muscle function. Calcium depletion can result in a number of symptoms, most notably osteoporosis which results in decreased bone mass and increased chances of bone breakage.

Copper
Copper facilitates in the absorption of iron and supports vitamin C absorption. Copper is also involved in protein synthesis and an important factor in the production of RNA.

Potassium
Stimulates nerve impulses and muscle contractions. It regulates the body’s acid-alkali balance, stimulates kidney and adrenal functioning, and assists in converting glucose to glycogen. It's also important for biosynthesis of protein.

Zinc
Required for growth, immune system function, sexual development and the synthesis of insulin. Proper zinc metabolism is needed for wound healing, and carbohydrate and protein metabolism. It is considered an antibacterial factor in the prostatic fluid, and may contribute to the prevention of chronic bacterial prostatitis and urinary tract infections.

Silicon
Silicon is necessary for normal growth and bone formation. With calcium, silicon is a contributing factor in good skeletal integrity. Silicon is a main component of osteoblasts, the bone forming cells. Silicon may help to maintain youthful skin, hair and nails.

Sodium
Sodium regulates the pH of intracellular fluids and with potassium, regulates the acid/ alkali balance in the body. Sodium and chloride are necessary for maintaining osmosis and electrolyte balance.

Magnesium
An important mineral because it aids in the activation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy source for cell functioning. It also activates several enzyme systems and is important for the synthesis of RNA and DNA. Magnesium is necessary for normal muscle contraction and important for the synthesis of several amino acids.

Cobalt
Cobalt is essential to the formation of vitamin B12


Switching to sea salt is easy to do. You can find it in most supermarkets, health food stores—even on line.

Worried about Sodium?
Bring it into Balance Naturally
More important then the amount of sodium in your diet is the ratio of sodium to potassium. Recent research suggests this ratio is critical. While many studies have focused on high sodium content in the diet, it appears that problems with hypertension may be related more to an inappropriate ratio of sodium to potassium.

Sodium has a special relationship to potassium. Sodium is the major electrolyte outside the cells, and potassium is the major electrolyte inside the cells. These two elements work together to maintain fluid balance, transmit nerve messages and control muscle contractions.

The body monitors the amount of salt and potassium in the bloodstream, as the body has no mechanism for storing electrolytes. When a shortage of either exists, the body secretes hormones that drastically reduce excretion of electrolytes and fluids.

If you’re worried about your sodium levels you can bring them into balance by making sure you get enough potassium in your diet. Potassium helps neutralize the effect of sodium on your blood pressure, lowers your risk for stroke and heart attack, even prevents the bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis. (Notice that sea salt is rich in potassium.)

You can eat many potassium-rich foods but it will do you little good unless you are consuming adequate sodium as well. Your body cannot properly digest raw vegetables without salt. People used to eat a salty soup before a meal to enhance digestion.

Salt re-enriches your saliva so your body can manufacture the proper digestive juices to break down the complex carbohydrates, celluloids and chlorophyll from the vegetables which contain potassium. Without salt no digestion is possible.

Unfortunately, you probably aren’t getting enough potassium through your diet alone. On an average day, the typical man gets about 3,000 mg – women closer to 2,300 mg. For optimum health, I recommend getting around 5,000 mg of potassium per day.

It’s easier than you think. Most people think bananas are the best source, but you might be surprised. Cantaloupes, raisins and avocados are all rich in potassium.
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1 Alderman et al. “Low urinary sodium associated with greater risk of myocardial infarction among treated hypertensive men.” Hypertension. 1995. 25:1144-1152. See hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/6/1144.

2 Valkonen, V-P. “Sodium and potassium excretion and the risk of acute myocardial infarction.” Presented October 15, 1998 to the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Dallas, TX (unpublished).

3 Tunsall-Pedoe. “Comparison by prediction of 27 factors of coronary heart disease and health in men and women of the Scottish heart health study cohort study.” British Medical Journal. 1997. 315:722-729. See Table 6, age-adjusted hazard ratios. Online at bmj.com/cgi/content/full/315/7110/722.

4 Geleijnse, Johanna M., et al. “Sodium and potassium intake and risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality: the Rotterdam Study” Sept 28, 2007. Sept 25, 2008. http://www.springerlink.com/content/1032k6374735085u/fulltext.pdf

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pinky,

Here’s a table of potassium-rich foods. Try adding a few of them to your diet…
www.weightlossforall.com/potassium-rich-food.htm
www.buzzle.com

Yep, I am so glad you took the time to write about this.
There is a great chapter on this subject in the book " Your Bodies Many Cries For Water".
http://www.watercure.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2
F. Batmanghelidj, M.D

This is an important topic for our health and healing.
Julie

"Salt: Your Way To Health" by Dr. David Brownstein is a good book on the subject. He wrote another book: "Iodine: Why You Need It Why You Can't Live Without It. (2nd Edition, 2006)" which explains how iodine deficiency is epidemic and how important it is in thyroid, breast and prostate health. (for more info check out http://www.iodine4health.com. He recommends increasing salt intake (1/4 to 1/2 tsp in water) to help the body eliminate the halides (fluoride, bromide, chloride) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic) that iodine will displace. Symptoms include: frontal headach, heavy feeling in chest, fatigue as the toxins are released. Salt is also needed by the adrenals. Redmond's RealSalt is a good brand mined in the US in Utah.

Lorie

Pinky

I looked at your table and could not find dates listed in it, yet I have heard that dates are 3-5 times higher in pottasium than the banana. Since then I have always tried to include them in my diet. Will look for more info on that. As regarding salt I do think that where one lives also changes the amount of salt required by the body. In a hot dry climate such as where I live in Botswana I think the need for salt is greater.

I read with interest the article by Al Sears - thanks for posting it. As usual very informative.

Love
Wendy

Hi Wendy,Julie and Lorie Thanks

Interesting about the dates let me know when you find more. Its so interesting how different countries just have the right food the people need like dates for example.
Hot red peppers to cool the internal body down, kill parasites.
Coconut grows in countries where you have all sort of parasites/worms. There must be many more examples I do not know of.
O yes, almost forgot the rainforest medicinal herbs and plants/trees.

Its very true that in hot climates we need more salt. My warning for being in low in salt when I lived in Nigeria, was when I had problems climbing stairs, I could hardly get to the top.

Himalaya salt I have used from time to time as a cure or sprinkeled on my cooked food. They say not to use it while cooking for the good stuff disappears.

Much Love
Pinky

AAh interesting about the stairs. I have had similar experiences. It is sooo hot here I eat a lot of salt and a lot of bananas and dates. Dates sunflower seeds and bananas go well together. We get dates from all over but the Namibian dates are good. Have just bought some of the good salt so going to use that now.

love
Wendy

plesae move this one too to offtopic