THE SHAKEDOWN ON SALT
by Dr. William Rice DC, DACBN, CCN, FACCN

Salt is sodium chloride, an inorganic chemical with no nutritive value. Chemically speaking, it is a crystalline product of the union of two elements -- sodium and chlorine.

One ounce of salt in the body requires about three quarts of water to hold it in solution. If you have four ounces of salt in your body you will be carrying the burden of three gallons of water -- that’s 24 pounds! Obese or bloated persons can easily lose five to ten pounds in a few days by cutting out the salt. In addition, there is considerable evidence that suggests that excessive intake of salt is a factor in hypertension (high blood pressure).

What are some of the possible complications of hypertension? What organs of the body are involved in the hypertensive individual? These are the questions that will be answered here.

The heart is affected by hypertension because it has to work harder to pump blood. If hypertension is left untreated, it may lead to heart disease. Increased pressure in the kidneys destroys their tiny arteries. If damaged, the kidneys may not be able to do their job of filtering out waste products and re-absorbing the beneficial substances from the blood. Hypertension damages the blood vessels in the brain that may lead to stroke.

Although these organs are able to withstand increased pressure for long periods of time without manifesting any symptoms; that doesn’t mean that your organs are not suffering. High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors in heart disease and kidney failure according to medical researchers. You could be a walking time bomb if you have hypertension.

Doesn’t the body need salt? Yes, but the average American consumes approximately ten grams (one-third of an ounce) of sodium daily. That’s ten times more salt than needed. The body needs many mineral salts, one of which is sodium chloride. However, your body gets sufficient salt by eating natural, unprocessed foods: fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and unprocessed whole grains. Incidentally, there is virtually no difference between table salt and sea salt when it comes to the negative effects salt exerts on the body.

The most recent recommendation by medical experts regarding sodium intake is that anyone with a family history of hypertension should consume less than one gram (1,000 mg.) of salt (sodium) daily. This means more than simply not cooking with salt and not adding salt to your food. It means watching foods high in sodium. (See Foods Extremely High in Sodium List below)

Won’t food taste too bland without salt? The taste for salt is acquired and is not a useful indicator of the requirement for salt. You will probably miss the salty taste at first, but once your taste buds have become acclimated, you will discover flavors in foods that you never realized existed before. Their true tastes will emerge without the salt, which only masks their flavors.

The first step in kicking the salt habit is to avoid high-salt foods and avoid adding salt in cooking. Avoid processed foods that are high in sodium (see List). Stay away from foods that you know are high in salt, such as salted nuts, cold cuts, olives, pickles, cheese, potato chips, pretzels and corn chips. Beware of foods whose labels claim "natural flavoring": that could mean sugar or salt. Learn to read food labels when shopping. (Read "Understanding Food Labels") Foods that mention "sodium-" on the label should be avoided as they contain too much salt, such as monosodium glutamate

Eating out is particularly dangerous because you never know how much salt is added during preparation. Chinese food is generally high in sodium -- one tablespoon of soy sauce contains 1000 mg of sodium. Salt in Italian food is masked by the sweetness of the tomato sauce. In any restaurant, tell your server that you want low-sodium food. If you are very thirsty an hour later, you probably had too much salt.

New research shows that you can actually cut down on sodium by adding a small amount of table salt to your food. Yes, that’s right, add salt to your food. It actually makes a great deal of sense. Salt found in processed or prepared foods is hidden. It is a fact that fast-food hamburgers contain almost twice the sodium as the French fries. The reason that the fries taste saltier is that the salt is on the surface and is sensed more quickly by your taste buds. This same approach can be used to help you lower you intake of sodium. If you avoid salt in processed and prepared foods and add a dash of salt at the table you will actually reduce your intake considerably. These efforts are not easy and require careful label reading and a great deal of attention to food shopping and preparation, but the effort is worthwhile. In fact, it could save your life.

Foods Extremely High in Sodium

Miscellaneous:	Baked Goods:	Fish:	Vegetables:
soy sauce/tamari	bread	anchovies	canned vegetables
Worcestershire sauce	cereals	caviar	beet greens
baking powder	cakes	herring	sauerkraut
baking soda	potato chips	lobster	spinach
bouillon cubes	pretzels	sardines	swiss chard
celery salt	popcorn	shrimp	white turnips
garlic or onion salt	corn chips	scallops
catsup		tuna
instant cocoa		clams
horseradish		crabs	Meats:
relish		smoked fish
mayonnaise	Dairy Products:		bacon
meat tenderizers			brains
mustard	butter, salted		cold cuts
olives	buttermilk		deli meats
pickles	cottage cheese		hot dogs
pancakes, pudding &	cheese		smoked meats
cake mixes	margarine		sausage
tomato juice			ham