The Truth About Salt

This article challenges the conventional medical narrative that salt is inherently harmful, tracing the “war on salt” to 1977 U.S. Senate dietary guidelines that recommended reduced sodium intake despite weak (if any) evidence. This policy, driven by profit motives and flawed assumptions, has led to widespread misconceptions about salt’s health impacts, potentially causing harm. We need salt in our diets and reducing it too much (especially below 1500 mg/day, unless medically necessary due to certain organ dysfunctions, heart failure, edema, etc.) can cause more harm than consuming “too much.” It can even cause an elevation in stress hormones. Our blood is salt water. Our sweat even tastes salty. This makes salt an essential nutrient!

Remember this is not medical advice. Just education.

Key Points on the Controversy

1. Origins of the Anti-Salt Narrative:
   • In 1977, a Senate Committee pushed for reduced sodium consumption without robust evidence, creating a policy with lasting momentum.
   • The medical field often promotes low-salt diets, citing two main concerns:
     • Blood Pressure: Salt is believed to raise blood pressure, which is linked to heart disease.
     • Heart Failure: Excessive sodium can exacerbate heart failure by causing fluid retention, leading to hospital admissions after high-salt holidays (e.g., 4th of July).
   • These arguments oversimplify the issue and ignore counter-evidence, leading to blanket recommendations that may harm certain individuals.
2. Flawed Assumptions About Salt and Blood Pressure:
   • The link between salt and blood pressure is much weaker than claimed. A comprehensive review found drastic salt reduction lowers blood pressure by less than 1% in most people.
   • Only some individuals (e.g., certain ethnicities) are “salt-sensitive,” experiencing notable blood pressure increases from salt.
   • The medical industry’s focus on blood pressure as a metric has led to over-medication, pushing patients (especially the elderly) to dangerously low blood pressures. This increases risks of:
     • Kidney injury
     • Cognitive impairment
     • Macular degeneration
     • Falls due to lightheadedness
     • Reduced quality of life (e.g., fatigue, erectile dysfunction)
3. Dangers of Low-Sodium Diets:
   • Hyponatremia (Low Sodium Levels):
     • Common in 15-20% of hospitalized patients, hyponatremia is linked to a 25% higher risk of death.
     • Salt restriction increases hyponatremia risk (e.g., 9.9 times higher in hypertensive patients).
     • Symptoms include fatigue, lightheadedness, and, in severe cases, life-threatening complications.
   • Cardiovascular Risks:
     • Low sodium intake is associated with a 34% increase in cardiovascular disease and death.
     • Rapid sodium reduction can mimic traumatic shock, reducing cardiac output and raising heart rate, potentially causing tachycardia or atrial fibrillation.
   • Other Health Issues:
     • Chronic sodium depletion may contribute to fatigue, insomnia, diabetes worsening, and hydrochloric acid deficiency in the stomach.
     • Conditions like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and chronic fatigue syndrome often improve with increased sodium intake.
     • Could increase insulin resistance due to stress hormone elevation, and even potentially INCREASE blood pressure.
     • Migraines are often caused by a sodium deficiency, shown in people who take a ‘pinch’ of salt feel relief within 30 minutes.
   • Global Evidence:
     • A study of 181 countries found lower salt consumption (below 1500 mg/day) correlates with shorter life expectancy and a high sodium intake (up to 4000-5000 mg/day) correlates with a longer life expectancy. (“Sodium Intake…” European heart Journal, 2021).
4. U-Shaped Curve of Sodium Intake:
   • Both excessive and insufficient sodium intake increase health risks, forming a U-shaped curve.
   • In heart failure and chronic kidney disease patients, moderate salt intake often improves outcomes compared to severe restriction, challenging standard low-salt recommendations.
   • Emerging European guidelines are beginning to relax salt restrictions for heart failure patients based on this evidence.
5. Zeta Potential and Salt’s Role:
   • Zeta potential refers to the electrical repulsion between particles in fluids (e.g., blood), which prevents clumping and ensures proper circulation.
   • Sodium levels influence zeta potential, and both too little and too much sodium can disrupt it, leading to issues like poor circulation, edema, or blood clotting.
   • Low sodium (e.g., from restrictive diets) can impair zeta potential, causing symptoms like fatigue or heart arrhythmias.
   • High sodium from processed foods can also disrupt zeta potential, contributing to cardiovascular events. This may be due to:
     • Imbalanced sodium-potassium ratios (potassium supports better zeta potential).
     • Additives in refined salts (e.g., anti-caking agents) or other processed food components (e.g., seed oils).
6. Problems with Refined Salt:
   • Refined salts (e.g., table salt) are heavily processed, stripped of trace minerals, and may contain:
     • Microplastics (also present in some sea salts).
     • Heavy metals and industrial pollutants.
     • Anti-caking agents that harm zeta potential.
     • Residual chemicals from processing (e.g., sodium carbonate, barium chloride).
   • Iodized refined salt provides iodine, critical for thyroid health, but natural salts may lack sufficient iodine, requiring dietary supplementation (e.g., seaweed for vegans).

Choosing Healthier Salt Options

1. General Considerations:
   • Avoid Refined Salts: These lack minerals, contain additives, and may disrupt zeta potential.
   • Balance Sodium and Potassium: Adequate potassium (e.g., from vegetables) supports cardiovascular health and zeta potential.
   • Monitor Iodine Intake: If avoiding iodized salt, ensure iodine from other sources to prevent deficiency.
   • Cycle Salts: No single salt is ideal; rotating brands or choosing based on how your body feels may optimize benefits.
   • Minimize Processed Foods: These often contain high levels of refined salt and other harmful additives (e.g., seed oils, toxic preservatives).
2. Concerns with Salt Sources:
   • Ocean Salts: May contain microplastics or pollutants (e.g., a 2018 study found 36/39 brands had microplastics).
   • Rock Salts: Free of ocean contaminants but may have trace toxic metals (e.g., radioactive elements in some Himalayan salts).
   • Mineral Content: Trace minerals in natural salts are often too low to significantly impact health compared to a balanced diet.
3. Recommended Salt Brands:
   • Redmond’s Real Salt (Rock Salt, Utah):
     • Pros: Sourced from ancient ocean deposits, free of ocean pollutants, widely available, publicly disclosed mineral content, higher iodine among natural salts.
     • Cons: Contains trace toxic elements, sparking some controversy.
   • Celtic Sea Salt (Ocean Salt):
     • Pros: Popular in integrative health, disclosed mineral content, higher magnesium, restorative for some.
     • Cons: Contains microplastics (though the company claims to minimize them).
   • Pink Himalayan Salt (Rock Salt):
     • Pros: Popular, widely available.
     • Cons: Inconsistent quality due to lack of standards, over-mining issues, potentially higher toxic elements than Redmond’s.
   • Maldon Sea Salt (Ocean Salt, England):
     • Pros: Clean reputation, unique texture, feels restorative.
     • Cons: Less data on mineral content or contaminants.
   • Hawaiian Deep Ocean Salts:
     • Pros: Sourced from deep ocean water, microplastic-free (via micro-filtering and solar evaporation), high mineral content.
     • Cons: Harder to find, limited mineral data.
   • Vera Salt (Underground Spring Salt):
     • Pros: Contaminant-free (third-party tested), promising approach.
     • Cons: Limited mineral data, less accessible.
4. Special Cases:
   • For individuals with impaired zeta potential, potassium-based salts (e.g., Biosalt, mimicking human plasma) or supplements (e.g., Zeta Aid) may be beneficial.
   • Always carry natural salt (e.g., Redmond’s pocket-sized containers) to avoid refined salt when dining out.
5. Challenges in Choosing Salts:
   • Limited objective data exists due to a lack of independent third-party testing for minerals, microplastics, and toxic elements.
   • Subjective “feel” and personal experimentation are often necessary to find the best salt for an individual.

 Key Takeaways

1. Understand the Controversy:
   • The anti-salt narrative (AKA “Salt Wars“) stat=rted in the early 1900’s and gained momentum from flawed 1977 guidelines and profit-driven medical practices, not solid evidence.
   • Salt’s impact on blood pressure is minimal for most people, and low-salt diets can cause harm (e.g., hyponatremia, cardiovascular risks).
2. Health Implications:
   • Sodium follows a U-shaped curve: both too much and too little increase mortality.
   • Low sodium can cause fatigue, lightheadedness, and serious conditions like hyponatremia or POTS.
   • High sodium from processed foods may disrupt zeta potential, contributing to heart issues, but natural salts are less problematic.
   • Potassium balance and iodine intake are critical alongside sodium.
3. Practical Guidance:
   • Choose natural salts (e.g., Redmond’s, Celtic, Maldon) over refined table salt.
   • Be aware of potential contaminants (microplastics in ocean salts, toxic metals in rock salts).
   • Experiment with different salts and monitor how your body responds.
   • Reduce processed food consumption to avoid refined salt and harmful additives.
4. Critical Thinking:
   • Question medical dogmas that vilify essential nutrients like salt, especially when driven by profit motives.
   • Recognize the need for personalized approaches, as salt sensitivity and health needs vary.

Conclusion

The “war on salt” reflects a broader issue in medicine: oversimplifying complex physiological processes for profit or convenience. While excessive sodium can harm specific groups (e.g., heart failure patients), blanket low-salt recommendations often do more harm than good, increasing risks of hyponatremia, cardiovascular issues, and reduced quality of life. By understanding the U-shaped curve of sodium intake, the role of zeta potential, and the differences between refined and natural salts, individuals can make informed choices. Opting for high-quality natural salts, balancing sodium with potassium, and minimizing processed foods empowers people to support their health while navigating a controversial topic.

For further reading, see James DiNicolantonio’s work on salt’s benefits and drawbacks (see references below), and the article “The Great Blood Pressure Scam” for deeper context on blood pressure myths.

• J.J. DiNicolantonio et al.
  

  Dietary sodium restriction: take it with a grain of salt
• J.J. DiNicolantonio et al.
  

  An unsavory truth: sugar, more than salt, predisposes to hypertension and chronic disease
• J.J. DiNicolantonio et al.
  

  Hypertension due to toxic white crystals in the diet: should we blame salt or sugar?

Click here for a much deeper dive into this (if you like drinking out of fire hoses).