Very interesting post Joel,
That means I can keep using salt in my cooking to make things taste better. :)
You may have heard that a high salt/sodium intake causes high blood pressure and should be avoided. Well, that’s…not true.
You see, a high sodium intake does not cause hypertension (high blood pressure). The hormone aldosterone acts on the kidneys to conserve sodium for bodily functions; however, when sodium is consumed in high amounts, aldosterone release is blunted and any excess sodium will simply be excreted. As a result, sodium balance remains normal over a large intake.
Eat less of it and your body retains more; eat more and your body gets rid of what it doesn’t need. This is the case with all apparently healthy individuals who do not already have a blood pressure condition.
The only circumstance in which individuals may benefit by monitoring their sodium intake is if they have already been clinically diagnosed as suffering from hypertension and are also salt sensitive. I stress “and” because only 20% of the population is salt sensitive; so for 4 out of every 5 people suffering from hypertension, lowering sodium intake isn’t going to do much, if anything at all.
And even for those that are salt sensitive, the actual magnitude of the decrease in blood pressure as a result of the lowered intake may not even be substantial enough to warrant decreasing sodium consumption as a method to treat high blood pressure.
Now, I normally wouldn’t kick a myth when it’s down, but a high sodium intake can actually benefit athletes and fitness enthusiasts for the following reasons:
- A higher sodium intake yields a greater overall blood volume and blood flow to the working muscles. With increased blood flow, the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the working muscles is maximized. This is particularly important when an amino acid containing beverage is consumed prior to the workout, as more aminos will be delivered to the working muscles, resulting in greater rates of protein synthesis and recovery. Also, increased blood flow will actually increase performance in that removal of various fatigue toxins (lactic acid, CO2, etc) will occur at a faster rate.
- It is the responsibility of sodium to deliver potassium into the cell membrane of muscle tissue. If not enough sodium is present, the body is forced to deliver the potassium via “active transport” across the membrane. In this case, active transport is not the preferred method of transportation and as a result less potassium will be transported across the membrane less often.
And yet another myth about sodium is that a high intake causes tons of water retention and a bloated appearance. While, yes, increased sodium intake will cause some initial water retention, the retention is only temporary. As soon as the body becomes accustomed to the higher intake, aldosterone release will be blunted and the excess water will be excreted.
So no, consuming high amounts of sodium does not cause hypertension (and is rarely effective by itself in treating the condition) and may actually a good idea if you want to optimize your workout performance.
My friend Isabel expands on the “salt myth” in this video and also shares 3 of her favorite fat burning foods:
3 Fat Burning Foods and more on sodium <——- watch here
Question or comment on today’s post? Drop your reply in the comments section below!
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
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WOW, that is good piece of information. Thanks a lot and will distribute this knowledge
Another great article Joel!
I’ve seen a few comments on several forums lately on the topic of salt. Some people have been saying that eating it is just as bad as smoking! I can’t believe it! Use some common sense people!
Has there been something in the media in the US recently?
I’m glad you’ve set the record straight Joel. For years even our government has been telling people to reduce their salt intake because it supposedly caused high blood pressure.
Thanks for giving people the real truth about salt.
Keep up the good work mate!
Steve.
… and anyone who has ever heard of repleting electrolytes should be nodding in agreement. One of the biggies repleted is SODIUM up there with potassium. Thanks for yet again injecting common sense and solid science into the discussion.
You say that higher salt intake leads to greater blood volume. Greater blood volume equates to higher blood pressure. Fact.
Joel- although I agree with this and actually live it- I think the levels of sodium in processed foods is the real issue for our society. all the different forms of sodium are bad for you. I have thrown out all the processed salt in my house and only use sea salt- the dark looking stuff, since that is loaded with the proper minerals we need and use. But I believe that the sodium the average person takes in (processed foods) is indeed bad for us. What do you think?
Hi Joel,
You say initially increased sodium intake will cause water retention temporarily, but what do you consider temporary? Are we talking hours/days/weeks/months? I can stand looking and feeling “puffy” for maybe a couple days, but if we’re talking weeks/months…Eeeeek!
Thanks,
What is the scientific source of this information? also, does this apply to MSG in any way? Just wondering as I’m terribly sensitive to both.
Medical advice for years has been reduce the amount of sodium you consume as it is associated with hypertension/water retention leading to hypertension. Are they all wrong?
Is our government wasting money on TV advertising to promote this as healthy living?
Are the food companies wasting their time reducing salt in their products (thereby reducing flavour) to pander to these whims?
What would be the point of this so called propaganda?
OMG, I am so glad to finally see a post like this. I “take” 1/2 teaspoon of REAL sea salt daily, like it’s medicine, to help ALLEVIATE water retention issues in the summertime, or on a day when I’m on my feet a lot. People look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them this. I also add real sea salt liberally to my food as desired for taste. My BP is always around 110/70. I eat smoked salmon on a daily basis, and people ask me if I’m concerned about the sodium. Um, no. I hate these persistent myths. Even when I was pregnant and retaining water, my OB tried to tell me too much salt was the culprit (this was back years ago when I was AVOIDING salt like the plague). Um, how about my water retention was caused by pregnancy hormones and a BABY pressing down on my blood and lymph vessels…not to mention by not getting ENOUGH salt? Thank you for spreading the truth, no matter how much the public tries to resist it!!! I am going to link to this post in my blog today! Good work!
Makes sense. So are the sodium levels in soft drinks nothing to be concerned about then? Also, is it better to use iodised salt or not?
In Canad77% of sodium intake comes from processed foods….processed foods=refined carbs and saturated fats= poor nutritional intake/diet .
Limit processed foods and follow a clean diet.
One think to keep in mind is that high sodium intake from processed foods usually coincides with a diet that is low in potassium.
Were there no more recent studies available to draw on for your article?
how about checking out the DRI for Sodium….document developed in 2005 by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10925
This is intriguing information. Do you have sources/studies that support this hypothesis? I have been avoiding salt for a long time. Thanks!
This one will certainly cause some controvesy…
Our body functions and structures are to be fed and maintain by what our mother nature gives us. Protein, fiber, carbohydrates, micro and macronutrients are to be delivered and utilized accordingly with the needs of each. Let’s remember those compounds we consume were not to be consumed by our
ancestors and our bodies can not processed them accordingly, damaging the motorized process and rhytm of our bodies.
Our bodies function what mother natures provides for us everything else can be damaging to our bodies. Eat as healthy as your granfathers!
Thank you Joel for “allowing” my last indulgence ! I have abandoned sugar, processed foods, saturated fats, refined grains and coffee. Glad to know that I can at least enjoy my salt! :)
(I have no hypertension)
Hi Joel – I really appreciate the articles you post. Can you also include references to studies that support them? eg. this latest article on salt intake. It will add credibility for sure.
Thanks.
Great stuff. I already know this, but I wish more people did. Common sense, indeed.
“It is the responsibility of sodium to deliver potassium into the cell membrane of muscle tissue. If not enough sodium is present, the body is forced to deliver the potassium via “active transport” across the membrane. In this case, active transport is not the preferred method of transportation and as a result less potassium will be transported across the membrane less often. ”
Do you have a reference for this? What pump/channel/ion exchanger/cotransporter is involved in allowing Na to deliver K into the cell? From my understanding of physiology ALL cells rely on the sodium-potassium ATPase pump to drive sodium out and bring potassium in (moving both against their concentration gradients through primary active transport). Is there some other mechanism I was not taught in physiology courses that brings in both Na and K into the cell (Na movement down its gradient driving K movement up its gradient)?? (what I just described is technically “active transport” too although this is secondary active transport)
Thanks in advance for answering this as I’ve been confused since reading this in your article this morning!
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...