Everyday Systems

I was reading some posts about salt intake in the No Scale forum, but I wanted to share my feelings about salt in a new post.

Please note, I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. This is just me speaking from my knowledge of nutrition and health.

Salt is not a bad thing in itself, like most things your body needs salt for proper functioning. Salt does NOT cause high blood pressure but can aggravate it.

Out problem, as a society, with salt, is not the shaker on the table or in the kitchen! It is the sodium, in all the processed foods we eat or in restaurants where we have no control over the contents. I eat very little processed foods and try to make wise choices when I do eat out.

About a year ago I had extensive blood tests done through a doctor to determine very specific things about my health and general feelings of tiredness, etc. ONE of the results of these tests showed that my sodium levels in my body were low enough that my doctor told me to eat MORE salt. Specifically sea salt.
Don't use Iodized Table Salt that is so lovely and bleached and processed that they take all the natural goodness out...including the iodine, then put it back in...what's with that?

Anyway that's my rant/thoughts/knowledge about salt. PLease feel free to add any comments or thoughts of your own.

any thoughts on the water retaining part?

I had a friend who lost weight by working with a trainer and changing her diet to a high protein/moderate carb intake. BUT her trainer was constantly telling to avoid salt and sodium foods b/c they contribute to water weight and bloating.

anyone have any back-up to support this or arguments against it?

I agree that if you don't have any medical conditions that warrant it, there's

no reason to stress over salt. When we are controlling sweets and changing

our snacking habits, it's counterproductive to add restrictions if it's not

necessary. People who do have medical issues have to work that out with

their doctors, but it shouldn't be general restriction.

I do have a medical condition (congestive heart failure) that requires me to be careful about salt. My cardiologist told me he wasn't concerned about the salt I use in cooking or at the table, but to watch the prepared and processed foods. I use them rarely anyway, so it wasn't much of an issue.

What really surprised me was restaurant food -- sit-down chain restaurants. I was prepared for fast food to be full of sodium. I didn't taste that the food was salty, but had very puffy feet and ankles the next day. I'm a lot more careful when eating out now, especially if I'll be eating out for several meals.

What really concerns me about that is that I know there have been a few things I've made that I salted pretty heavily and had no problems. If I had no problems with those things, but did have problems with some restaurant food -- how much sodium was in it.

So many people complain about Chinese food, but I've had more problems at other restaurants than Chinese restaurants!

OrganicGal,

The point was made to "reduce" salt not eliminate it. While there is a raging contoversy regarding salt reduction in the medical communicaty most agree that salt can affect hypertension (the silent killer). Hypertension is a well documented "risk factor" for cardiovascular events ie heart attacks!

In the US alone $300 Billion are spent on medical cost and lost productivity EACH year due to cardiovascular events. Not to say salt causes heart attacks but if you are currently on a high sodium diet and have hypertension...you should have a long conversation with a medical doctor.

Heart diease is the biggest killer of women in the USA!

Buffalo Gal

Buffalo Gal wrote:OrganicGal,

The point was made to "reduce" salt not eliminate it. While there is a raging contoversy regarding salt reduction in the medical communicaty most agree that salt can affect hypertension (the silent killer). Hypertension is a well documented "risk factor" for cardiovascular events ie heart attacks!

In the US alone $300 Billion are spent on medical cost and lost productivity EACH year due to cardiovascular events. Not to say salt causes heart attacks but if you are currently on a high sodium diet and have hypertension...you should have a long conversation with a medical doctor.

Heart diease is the biggest killer of women in the USA!

Buffalo Gal

On the other hand...only about 30% of people with hypertension are salt sensitive. Having said that, back in the early 1960s when The Seven Countries Study (the one that was responsible for the popularity of the Mediterranean diet for heart health) was done, the Japanese had lower total cholesterol levels than anyone, including those in the Mediterranean. However they had a greater incidence of hypertension and stroke and deaths from heart disease and stroke. A cause wasn't given, but my guess would be due to high sodium intake. So much of their food is salt-preserved.

Blamey....I think it would be the sodium in processed foods that again might be a problem when it comes to water retention, much more so then any salt we might add from the shaker.

Buffalo Gal...you might note in my original post that I said salt can aggravate high blood pressure. I never said that salt isn't a worry for some, only that I feel it's getting a bad rep where it's not deserved.

Again I was focusing on the sodium in processed foods and restaurant meals, where we have no control over the sodium levels.

JMHO

I agree about the hidden salt in restaurant and processed grocery items. I think those two sources are the biggest reason that we have such a sodium problem in this country. People who cook fresh foods at home don't seem to have such a problem with this, even if they add a little salt to their own cooking.

I really don't understand the reasoning for adding salt and sugar to everything the food industry prepares to sell. Is it because the American pallette is so atuned to these additives now? McDonald's not only load up their fries with salt, but they heavily salt their burgers too.

We try to eliminate all the salt we possibly can and when we do eat at McDonald's (we have few restaurants here) our local store employees call out "no salt fries" when they see us come in the door. We have them trained.

OrganicGal,

The truth about salt is that the average american gets 75% of their salt intake right in their own home...not from eating out. This is according to the American Heart Association. Add eating out and the amount of salt you are consuming takes on a whole new life.

Salt hangs out in soups,condiments, tomato sauce and canned goods. Foods like quick cook cereals, ice creams, cheese and meats are high in sodium (look at the ingredients in frozen boneless skinless chicken breast). Thinks it's just chicken? It's not! Salt hides out in baking soda, baking powder and MSG. Bread too!

The problem is that salt is in almost everything we eat that is not picked right off of the tree. You are probably eating alot more salt than you are aware of.

While this may not be a problem for everyone....everyone should take it seriously. Especially as you age.

Buffalo Gal

Buffalo Gal, thanks for hammering your point home!!

I believe I also mentioned several times in my posts on this topic, the dangers of salt found in all the processed foods we eat AT HOME!!!!

My feelings, thoughts, ideas about salt are mine and I'm not trying to push them on anyone, just trying to express them nicely.

We went from regular salt to sea salt. I like the sea salt better, hubby finds it's not as fine as regular salt, but, when you have had the regular kind all yourl life, it will take getting used to the coarser sea salt.

OrganicGal,

I do not even own a hammer!

Buffalo Gal

wosnes wrote:What really surprised me was restaurant food -- sit-down chain restaurants. I was prepared for fast food to be full of sodium. I didn't taste that the food was salty, but had very puffy feet and ankles the next day.

I'm guessing that, with fast food, Chinese food and prepared packaged food, it's not garden variety salt that is the problem, but things like MSG (monoSODIUMglutamate) that cause the water retention. MSG is some nasty stuff.

I know that if I eat a lot of refined carbohydrates at one sitting, I also take on a lot of water.

Eating watermelon really helps drain off some of that fluid!

Buffalo Gal....me either! Well, actually I have several, but I don't use them on people...........................................................much... j/k

CatholicCajun wrote:We went from regular salt to sea salt. I like the sea salt better, hubby finds it's not as fine as regular salt, but, when you have had the regular kind all yourl life, it will take getting used to the coarser sea salt.

I like sea salt and kosher salt, too. I use them almost exclusively.

I use very little in the way of packaged foods -- mostly condiments and not too much of them.

OrganicGal,

Sorry if I came on too strong...I am a little opinionated

Buffalo Gal (right near the Canadian/US border)

Me too Buffalo Gal...no harm no foul..fowl?

Well, we are talking about salt as if people all over the globe has been using it since the beginning of human kind.
Salt wasn't always at hand for everyone and most people lived their entire lives without it, have you ever hear the phrase "worth it's weight in salt'?, that's because salt used to be rare (because of production and transportation) and expensive, an exotic ingredient.

Yes, we need sodium for proper electrolisis function, no, salt isn't the only thing that contains sodium, you get plenty from natural sources.
Renal disease and failure and as consequence hypertension runs in my family; some of us have the condition, some of us don't as a result, half is in salt restriction and the other half gets to eat very little sodium without needing it, and they are fine.

In this particular home, we don't restrict, my husband has hypertension, but his sodium levels are fine and I actually have hypotension; I need my sodium.
However, we don't eat almost anything that's proccessed; no Hamburger Helpers no Pizza Hut, no restaurant food, the only thing I ever use with added sodium is chicken or beef base, that's why the sodium levels in our blood are low.
If you depend much on proccessed, ready to cook, rotisserie items, deli items, delivery food, restaurant, fast food, like chips, crackers, etc., etc., keeping your eye on your sodium intake couldn't possibly be a bad step.

Because, honestly, even if there is a test to see what your sensibility to sodium is (it could exist, I don't know) who ever goes to get that checked before sodium intake becomes a problem?.
Most people realizes that oh yeah, there was a problem related to their excessive sodium intake once is too late and they have to now start taking hypertension medication.

The problem is not salt but the type of salt. Common table salt is an industrial by-product that's been highly heated, etc., etc. People for whom salt causes high blood pressure can often use unrefined seal salt or Himalayan crystal salt with no problems.

Just an interesting side note... I'm at a conference here in the USA which has a high proportion of international participants. A colleague from Scotland mentioned being both thirsty and bloated all the time over here because "everything is so salty."

Of course, we're all eating out more than normal as a result of being at a conference... but I was surprised how much he noticed it.

Celtic Sea Salt!

Blueskighs