The Importance of Salt
Salt has been used since ancient times for food preservation and seasoning. Ancient people often obtained salt by boiling spring water rich in minerals. In fact, some of the world’s oldest known salt mines can be traced back to around 6000 B.C.The term “salary” originates from the Latin word “salarium,” which referred to the allowance given to Roman soldiers to purchase salt, reflecting the importance of salt in daily life. Throughout human history, certain wars and the rise and fall of cities have been closely linked to salt.
However, when it comes to salt, our immediate thoughts are often, “I shouldn’t consume too much,” “It causes high blood pressure,” or “It is bad for my heart.” In reality, salt is indispensable for our life functions.
The scientific name for table salt is sodium chloride, the primary sodium source in the diet.
“Sodium is really what we need to maintain our life functions,” Cindy Chan Phillips, a registered dietitian, told The Epoch Times. “Sodium is one of the electrolytes. Without that, we will die.”
As an essential nutrient in the human body, sodium regulates the balance of fluids and electrolytes, keeping blood pressure within a healthy range. Ms. Phillips described sodium as a sponge that can absorb and carry water. “Where sodium goes, water goes,” she said.
Sodium is also responsible for the transmission of signals in muscle and nerve cells. “Without the adequate level of sodium, our nerve cells will fail to fire,” Ms. Phillips said.
Sodium also allows our muscles to contract when we need them to contract and relax when we need them to relax. “Our heart and our lungs are also muscles, too. For a heart to pulse, it also needs to know when to contract and relax by itself,” she said.
The chloride ions in table salt are essential components of stomach acid. In other words, the secretion of digestive fluids also requires salt.
Who Is Prone to Salt Deficiency?
“To say salt deficiency is rare is simply not looking at the data or looking at the people suffering around us,” James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and author of “The Salt Fix,” told The Epoch Times.Hypovolemia refers to a decrease in extracellular fluid volume when the loss of salt and liquid exceeds intake. Salt plays a crucial role in maintaining adequate blood volume, ensuring that our tissues are filled with oxygen-carrying blood and nutrients.
Hypovolemia may also be related to insufficient water intake. “Older people are prone to volume depletion, as they have blunted thirst mechanisms and, therefore, may not realize they are getting insufficient salt and water,” Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist specializing in Type 2 diabetes, told The Epoch Times. He also mentioned that dementia could affect the diet and drinking habits of older people, leading to inadequate blood volume.
However, he also noted that salt deficiency is not common in most parts of the world because salt is cheap and widely used, often added to food for flavor enhancement.
Ms. Phillips stated that while salt-deficient patients seeking consultation with her are rare, salt deficiency in the population cannot be dismissed. “In epidemiology, sometimes a low incidence could also be due to inadequate diagnosis,” she said.
Salt Deficiency Can Damage the Heart and Increase Mortality
Despite some dietary guidelines that recommend limiting salt intake for the general population to a relatively low level (less than 1 teaspoon), numerous studies have shown that for non-hypertensive individuals and those without cardiovascular health issues, maintaining salt intake at 1 to 2 teaspoons per day is healthier. Salt intake that is too low may actually lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.The detrimental effects of high salt intake on the heart are undeniable, but surprisingly, consuming too little salt can also increase the risk of heart disease.
There is no perfect method to measure a person’s daily salt intake accurately. Some studies estimate it through dietary surveys, while others measure sodium in urine and use the indicator of daily sodium excretion.
“It’s a trade-off in that you can lower blood pressure, perhaps a little bit, but you’re going to pay for that with an increase in these other hormones.” The result is that “you have lower blood pressure but higher risk of heart attack.”
He used Japan and the United States as examples: While salt intake in Japan is relatively high compared to the rest of the world and even higher than in the United States, the risk of heart disease among Japanese people is much lower than among Americans.
Common Signs of Salt Deficiency
Individuals with salt deficiency may experience various discomforts, but these symptoms are often attributed to other causes rather than insufficient salt.1. Fatigue, Muscle Weakness, and Cramps
This is a common sign in people with salt deficiency, similar to symptoms seen in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Mr. DiNicolantonio pointed out that the lack of salt results in insufficient blood volume and circulation to organs such as the brain and muscles, leading to fatigue and muscle weakness. Additionally, salt deficiency also reduces tissue fluid, which can cause muscle nerve endings to deform or contract, triggering muscle cramps and pain.2. Brief Dizziness When Getting Up
Some people experience dizziness when getting up from a squatting or sitting position, often unaware of the cause. This condition, known as orthostatic hypotension, may be caused by salt deficiency. Patients with this condition are frequently advised to increase their salt intake to alleviate symptoms. Additionally, Mr. DiNicolantonio noted that postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome often requires higher salt intake for treatment.3. Headaches, Forgetfulness, and Mental Confusion
Salt plays a crucial role in the transmission of signals between nerve cells. When the body lacks salt, neuronal function decreases. Additionally, salt deficiency can lead to reduced blood volume and insufficient blood flow to the brain, causing headaches and forgetfulness.
4. Depression and Stress
Mr. DiNicolantonio highlighted that a lack of salt can activate the sympathetic nervous system, raising levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. This, in turn, contributes to worsened sleep and increased stress.In the study involving the older Japanese people mentioned earlier, mild hyponatremia was also found to be associated with depressive mood. Depression is linked to the substance glutamate, which may be reduced in brain cells due to hyponatremia.
Apart from the aforementioned symptoms, some cases of indigestion and gastroesophageal reflux disease may also be linked to a deficiency of salt in the diet. This is because insufficient salt intake can affect stomach acid secretion, thereby interfering with food digestion and nutrient absorption.
How the Body Regulates Salt Is ‘Very Smart’
A constant craving for food, especially sweets, could be a sign of insufficient salt in the body.The body has intricate and strict automatic mechanisms to regulate salt levels. Put simply, when the body lacks salt, the brain detects this and sends signals to the body, leading to changes in related hormones. These changes then trigger an interest and need for salty foods. Conversely, when the body has an excess of salt, other hormones are secreted, promoting thirst and appetite and prompting one to drink more water.
“Your body is very smart at regulating your intake of essential minerals, especially the one as important as salt,” Mr. DiNicolantonio said. “If you consume too much salt in one meal, your body has an innate safety mechanism that causes you to crave less salt later in the day.”
“A lack of salt activates the dopamine reward center in the brain to cause us to seek out salt,” Mr. DiNicolantonio said. However, this can lead to excessive consumption of processed foods to obtain salt, inadvertently resulting in the intake of other addictive substances, such as sugar.
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