Are You Still Afraid of Salt?
Why most of us should not worry about it.
Society spent the last couple of decades being warned about the terrible dangers of excessive salt consumption (and fat, but that is a subject for another story). But is it a real issue for human health?
Life evolved in the ocean’s salty water, and our whole physiology was molded by this. Our blood mineral composition is quite similar to the one of seawater. Chlorine and sodium, together with potassium, are the main electrolytes in the human body, being abundant and extremely important for countless physiological processes. Body fluids, like tears and sweat, are salty.
Civilization was built over salt. Roman soldiers were paid in salt, there is where the word salary comes from. Salus was the roman goddess of safety and well-being, and a salute is literally to wish someone good health. In some parts of Brazil is usual to say Comida de Sal (“Salt Food”, in a literal translation) referring to real, healthy food, as opposed to junk food.
But from the second half of the last century, all the official guidelines started recommending a reduction of the consumption of salt. The idea was to reduce the incidence of heart disease and control blood pressure through the reduction of sodium levels. Well, it did not seem to have worked, since the heart disease numbers kept rising, even with less salt on people's tables.
A much more efficient way to control blood pressure is by increasing the consumption of potassium, instead of reducing sodium. So, if your blood pressure is getting higher, try to add some avocados and other potassium-rich foods to your diet, and then check the results.
People going into low-carb sometimes suffer discomfort from lower salt levels, as the kidneys excrete more salt under this diet. In this case, is recommended to supplement with a little extra salt.
Several health issues may come from a low sodium diet, including chronic fatigue, increased insulin resistance and a tendency to gain weight, poor sleep quality, lower libido and fertility, and even a higher chance of heart attack.
Our body seems to know how much salt it needs. We tend to crave salt when our levels are low, and a healthy human body has no problem excreting any excess.
And we are equipped with a natural defense against consuming a dangerous level of salt: our sense of taste. Any food containing a too high level of sodium will feel way too salty for our taste.
Any food containing a too high level of sodium will feel way too salty for our taste.
Unless we are talking about highly processed industrial foods, of course. And there is where the real danger of sodium overconsumption lies. Our taste buds will immediately recognize the excess salt in real food, but will not notice the huge amount of sodium in a soft drink, for example. The same is true for crackers, ready-made soups, sauces, and all the industrialized crap that is available to us at the supermarket alleys.
Eating highly processed foods can elevate your sodium intake to levels that would be impossible with real food made of fresh ingredients.
To be sure, always read the ingredients list of what you are eating. The sodium amount should be described there.
So, do not worry about some salt in your steak, stick to real food and avoid factory-made stuff. And please, do not take my word for it. I am not a doctor or any sort of health professional, just a guy who loves to share what I learned about health and nutrition. Always do your own research.
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