Simply close this browser window to return to the Research Library Home page. A Balanced Look At Salt In The Diet
Americans are being encouraged by advertisers and many health professionals to restrict their intake of salt. They would have us believe salt is a dangerous food additive, when in fact, it is an essential mineral which performs many critical functions in the body. The amount of salt a person needs varies according to size, age, metabolism, and exertion level. A 155 pound man needs to ingest about 3 grams of salt per day to maintain the proper level of salt, but the typical American eats about 10 grams of salt per day. The concentration of salt in the blood generally don't vary beyond one percent. One-third of the sodium we ingest comes from the salt shaker. The rest is already in our food. While there is no argument that salt can raise blood pressure even in people with healthy blood pressure levels, experts have often debated whether a lower-sodium approach is needed for everyone, since some people may be more salt-sensitive than others. The National Academy of Sciences recently set 1,500 milligrams as the recommended daily intake of sodium for healthy adults 19 to 50 years of age; 1,300 milligrams for those 51 to 70 and 1,200 milligrams for those over 70. The upper limit for sodium is 2,300 milligrams daily -- equal to the sodium found in about three slices of pepperoni pizza. Some 95 percent of me and 75 percent of women regularly consume salt in excess of the upper limit, the NAS found. About 90 percent of American adults develop high blood pressure. African Americans appear to be more sodium-sensitive that Caucasians. At least 80 percent of sodium in the American diet comes from processed and restaurant food. So the current advice is to reduce sodium intake by eating less processed food. Buy reduced-sodium alternatives at restaurants. Increase potassium in the diet by eating more fruits and vegetables, which help blunt the blood-pressure-raising effects of sodium. Public health officials say these steps can help reduce the blood pressure rise -- and increased risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney ailments -- that is seen with aging. Sodium is a key electrolyte, like potassium and calcium. An electrolyte is a mineral which, when floating free in the body's fluids, provides an electrical charge. Electrolytes control electrical conductivity, water balance, active transport of nutrients and the reliability of the taste buds. The proper ratios of these elements is critical for normal functioning. A poor sodium-potassium ratio, for example, can affect electrical conductivity to the point of chronic muscle tightness. When the blood sodium level falls too low, a person may develop susceptibility to infection, low heat tolerance, muscle fatigue or tightness, headaches, and poor appetite or nausea. Many things affect sodium need. The more a person sweats, the greater their need for replacement. Vinegar pulls sodium from the body, so eating foods which contain vinegar increases the sodium requirement. Fruits and vegetables break down in the body to produce a certain amount of vinegar, so the more of these in your diet, the more salt you will need. Sodium also carries mineral into the bone, where it remains as a key building block. Purchasing the right salt is important. Pure crystalline table salt, such as Morton's iodized is preferable. Not sea salt because poor regulation allows for highly variable mineral ratios which may actually be harmful. Garlic and onion salt are fine. Avoid salt tablets, as you can easily get too much without your taste buds to alert you. Morton was responsible for inventing the addition of an anti-caking element to salt. In the 1800's ground-up salt tended to form clumps in humid weather. Many salt shakers were made that tried to combat this using various means. Some had agitators inside to break up lumps; some had special pockets for moisture-absorbing solutions. Morton began adding magnesium carbonate to salt, which prevented it from clumping up even in the rainiest environments. This inspired their slogan (swiped from the Bible), "When it rains, it pours," and the famous logo of the little girl with the big umbrella. In a poll, 90% of housewives recognized the slogan. After the clumping problem was solved, the salt shaker became standard.
In 1903, the Morton warehouse in South Chicago contained more than 200,000 tons of salt -- the world's largest stock under a single roof. No one knows what started the fire, but the entire compound was in ruins by the time it was out. Piles of once-pure-white salt were now just piles of blackened salt covered with ashes and carbon. Joy Morton was undaunted. Charcoal makes a good additive in stock food, and soon farmers bought the entire stock of his new product: Morton's special "charcoal blend." The claim that salt leads to high blood pressure has largely been discounted. Although it is true that people who already have high blood pressure can lower it by limiting their salt intake, the fact is that people who have normal blood pressure are not affected by salt at all. Between 75 and 80 percent of the population is unaffected by the consumption of regular amounts of salt. Some forms of sodium can be harmful. Baking soda should be avoided except as used in baking or pancakes. When baking soda is used for brushing teeth, as a deodorant, for washing or cooking vegetables, or as a headache remedy it provides a form of sodium that leads to water retention. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrates and nitrites, and sodium saccharide (saccharin) provide forms of sodium that are less usable by the body or may actually be harmful. There are general guidelines about the clues to sodium need, but each person's unique chemistry creates a pattern specific to them. Taste is an important clue, providing the electrolytes are in balance may take several months for your taste buds to adjust so that you enjoy eating as much salt as your body actually needs. Salt saturation used to be an acceptable method of suicide in Japan. In an experiment, people were given massive doses of salt, not only in their food but also intravenously. The effects of too much salt were swollen feet, weight gain, an enlarged heart, and high blood pressure. Too little salt resulted in fatigue, confusion, muscle cramps, poor judgment, and an inability to correctly estimate the passage of time. In another study, people with low sodium levels were shown to have a higher death rate than those with a normal level of salt in their bodies. Many chefs maintain that vegetables and especially pasta should always be cooked in salted water. No amount of salting after cooking can make up for the loss of salt during cooking. In 1856, the government heard rumors that the Mormons living near the Great Salt Lake were planning an uprising. Troops were sent to quell the rebellion. Knowing that the soldiers were salt-starved, the peace-seeking Mormons went to the commanding officer with a gift of a wagonload of salt, but he refused to accept the gift. On their way out of the encampment, the Mormons unloaded the wagon, leaving the salt abandoned by the road. Within hours it had found its way into the government's mess tent. Peace was maintained. The first patent ever issued in America was for a process to recover salt from sea water. Pound for pound, babies have almost two-thirds more sodium and twice as much chlorine as adults. In 1980, a brand of soy-based baby formula jumped on the "low-salt" bandwagon and began offering a new low-sodium formula. Within a few months, 34 cases of chlorine deficiency in babies were reported. The babies were losing weight, sluggish, and stunted because they were not getting enough sodium chloride. They recovered after being switched to a different formula, and the baby food company put salt back in its recipes. Much of human society has been built around salt, which has often served as the cornerstone of our economy. The Roman government used to pay its soldiers in salt, and our word "salary" comes from the Roman word for salt. Any worker who didn't work hard was "not worth his salt." Click here to go to our Home page! No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Electrolyte, LLC. Electrolyte, LLC may have patents or pending patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Electrolyte, LLC.
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We cannot survive without salt. Salt is a mineral, not a spice. It is made of 40% sodium (a metal with a positive charge) and 60% chlorine (a poisonous gas with a negative charge). Put them together and you have sodium chloride, a mineral the body is unable to manufacture on its own. Without salt, muscles won't contract, blood won't circulate, food won't digest, wounds won't heal, nerve impulses won't get through, and the heart won't beat. Salt regulates fluids, controls blood pressure, and helps the liver clear waste products. Salt is not just a seasoning; it's a necessity.
Eating salty foods doesn't eliminate the need for adding salt at the table. However, good food sources of sodium include tomato juice and other tomato products, pretzels, and salted popcorn. Most canned and packaged soups, chips and sweets are also high in sodium but may be less nutritious sources. These foods may also contain higher levels of added potassium (as a preservative) which may not be the proper ratio of sodium/potassium for all individuals. Pickles, olives, and soy sauce are high in both salt and vinegar. Since vinegar pulls sodium from the body, these foods won't raise blood sodium levels, but they can be a very healthy addition to the diet if they appeal to your taste buds.