Salt, Sodium, spices or Chemicals? GWilkerson11/07/2014 Plant Based Nutrition
Everybody needs salt! We’ve heard it, or we’ve said it, or we just believe it. Years ago I read THE MIRACLE OF FASTING by Paul Bragg. He tells of when he walked the entire length of Death Valley on water only. He had invited college students, sports players to join him. The students brought along their support vehicles, their hot dogs, salt tablets, sodas, etc. Paul brought water. One by one the students dropped out, sick or exhausted. At the far end of the walk, Mr. Bragg turned around and walked the entire length again! On water, no sodium. At a restaurant in Albuquerque a few months ago I asked for a dish without added salt. The owner waiting on us said “but everybody needs salt!” Of course, everybody needs sodium. In an article; The Truth About Salt: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, CNCAHEALTH.com says: Except for sugar and fat, few foodstuffs have been demonized more than humble table salt. For decades now, Americans have been urged to cut back on their sodium intake in order to lower their risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
In his article; Salt harms the Heart, Joel Furhman, M. D. states: Sodium is an important mineral that is essential to the body’s proper function – however, adding salt (sodium chloride) to food provides dangerously high amounts of sodium. • The human diet, for millions of years, did not contain any added salt – only the sodium present in natural foods. This equates to less than 1000 mg of sodium per day. • Today, according to the CDC, Americans typically consume 3500 mg of sodium per day.
• 77% of sodium in the American diet comes from processed and restaurant foods.
Grains of Salt Tips for reducing the sodium in your diet:
• Since most salt comes from processed and restaurant foods, eating unprocessed natural foods helps to avoid excess sodium. • Resist adding salt to foods and purchase salt-free canned goods and soups. • If you must salt your food, do so only after it is on the table and you are ready to eat it – it tastes saltier if the salt is right on the surface. • Avoid condiments such as ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and relish, which are usually high in sodium. • Aim for no more than 300 mg of added sodium per day. Choose foods that have less sodium (in mg) than the number of calories per serving. • Use garlic, onion, fresh or dried herbs, spices, lemon or lime juice, or vinegar to flavor food Added salt, regardless of whether it is table salt or fancy sea salt, adds excess sodium to the body, and it is dangerous. Reducing your salt consumption is one of the most important things you can do to prevent cardiovascular disease. Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LN, in his article: The Truth About Sodium Intake Levels & Five Important Facts About Sodium/Salt Intake states: Excess sodium/salt raises blood pressure (hypertension), which is an established risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. In addition, excess sodium/salt consumption has been associated with stomach cancer, osteoporosis, edema, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, migraines, angina, left ventricular hypertrophy, arteriosclerosis, and autoimmune problems.
About 31 percent of American adults have hypertension (high blood pressure), and another 30 percent of American adults have prehypertension (blood pressure measurements that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range, raising the risk of developing high blood pressure). So, 61 percent of Americans could most likely benefit.
CDC Salt Guidelines Too Low for Good Health, Study Suggests “For most people, there is no reason to change their dietary habits concerning salt, as most people eat what appears to be the safest amount,” said review author Dr. Niels Graudal, a senior consultant at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. Sodium Chloride
A quick google search on Sodium Chloride nets thousands of results on medical uses, solutions, chemicals and recall warnings, etc. Conclusion
While articles and blogs differ in their opinions, I myself choose to consume no added salt from the shaker on the table. I do get plenty from crackers or organic corn chips, however, and what little other processed ‘foods’ I may consume. As for conclusive evidence, I am going with Jeff Novick and Dr. Furhman and others in the Whole Food, Plant-Based field. I leave the decisions for your own health to you. As with any other subject, there are thousands of studies and writers offering ‘evidence’ for opposing views. We can get adequate sodium from Foods! http://www.plant-strong-health-blog-by-gary.com/salt-sodium-spices-chemicals/