Salt Myth

How much salt, NaCl, is in the average adult human body? In the blood of a 66 kg (145 lb) person there is around 3.5L (almost 1 gallon) of blood. For this person there is about 6.7 grams of NaCl or about 1.6 teaspoons of salt. However, if you include all of the body fluids (i.e. the interstitial fluid), you would get a maximum total NaCl of around 28 grams or a little less than 2 tablespoons. Going further, if you include all the Na and Cl in the body which is bound to other elements like hydrogen and hydroxide or part of other larger molecules, then the total amount of NaCl in the body can be as much as 220 grams, which is a little over 17 tablespoons or a little over a cup of salt (1 cup = 16 tablespoons).

Your body needs salt

• Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion, Mortality, and Cardiovascular Events. New England Journal of Medicine article dated August 14, 2014. This study included 101,945 participants from five continents. In this study in which sodium intake was estimated on the basis of measured urinary excretion, an estimated sodium intake between 3 g per day and 6 g per day was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events than was either a higher or lower estimated level of intake. As compared with an estimated potassium excretion that was less than 1.50 g per day, higher potassium excretion was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events.
• WHY Low Salt Stresses the Body (Sodium, Hormones & Potassium). Duration 13:28. Older people have a hard time retaining salt and have a higher probability of hyponatremia.
• Low Sodium's link to Fat Gain & Insulin Resistance (Salt vs. Sugar). Duration 14:59. Low salt increases insulin resistance.
• Salt: Are you getting Enough? (More Sodium & Health). Duration 13:33. The body is well adapted to excrete high levels of salt in the body.
• The salt myth (and how it might kill you!). This video goes into how it's never been proven that salt causes high blood pressure and that eating low levels of salt the consequences are dire.
• The Sodium Myth & Why We Need It! Duration 6:11. You need 4 times more potassium than sodium. If you have water retention, then it's better to increase your intake of potassium than lowering the sodium.
• 5 Health Benefits of Salt in the Diet- Thomas DeLauer. Duration 6:09.

Notes

• Sodium. One teaspoon of salt (NaCl) is approximately 4.2 grams which equates to 2,325 mg of sodium (Na). In a gallon of water, one teaspoon of salt is a mild saline solution which should not be a problem for those on a low-sodium diet. A normal saline solution (found in blood, tears and other body fluids) has 9 grams of salt (NaCl) in a liter of water and is six times as salty as the electrolyte formulation I use. For reference see under "Isotonicity" in Tonicity and under "Normal" in Saline (medicine).
• Hyponatremia. Keep in mind that if you sweat a lot (due to hot weather or intense exercise), you can lose as much as 1,000 mg of sodium per hour. If you lose too much sodium, you can experience a condition called hyponatremia. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, and poor balance. When this condition is severe it can include confusion, seizures, and coma. "Hyponatremia occurs in about 20% of those admitted to a hospital and 10% of people during or after an endurance sporting event." The average daily consumption of sodium (Na) in the U.S. is 4,300 mg for men and 2,900 mg for women.
• Salt. Morton Canning and Pickling Salt is a pure granulated salt which does not contain potassium iodide, dextrose or any anti-caking agent. In other words, it does not contain any additives. Please note that since there is no anti-caking agent added, it may form lumps in humid weather or if exposed to moisture. In other words, keep it in an airtight glass container to prevent lumping.
• Salt additives. Salts (table or cooking) with the fewest additives lists the ingredients of most common salts. Morton Iodized Salt contains calcium silicate (<0.5%), dextrose (0.04% or 40 mg per 100 grams of salt), potassium iodide. Calcium silicate is a white, odorless, tasteless, anti-caking agent with no nutritional characteristics. Anti-caking agents absorb moisture inside the package that would otherwise be absorbed by the salt. In this manner, it allows salt to keep its free-flowing characteristics. Dextrose is added to prevent iodide from being oxidized and escaping as a purple-pink gas. Iodine is added to the salt to prevent goiter. Potassium iodide makes up 0.006% to 0.01% of table salt by weight which is equivalent to 0.0046% to 0.0077% iodine. See also: Iodized salt.
• Sufficient iodine intake. Iodized salt in the U.S. contains 45 micrograms of iodine per gram of salt. The recommended daily intake for adults is 150 micrograms, which can be obtained from about one-half to three-quarters of a teaspoon of table salt. However, the Japanese consume 89 times more iodine than Americans, due to their daily consumption of sea vegetables, without harm. See also: Iodine Supplements and Dosages.
• The Dangers of Salt-Free Diets | John McDougall, M.D. Duration 9:52. Severe salt deprivation will cause the body to go into survival mode. New England Journal of Medicine suggest 3-6000 mg of Sodium a day.
• The Starch Solution and Why Salt is a Scapegoat. Duration 59:15. It's not the salt, it's the bacon!
• Salt... the big lie?. Duration 9:06. The CDC has revised it's recommendations regarding the amount of salt consumed. The interviewer proves the point of it not being the salt but the "foods" that contain the salt.
• Amazing Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt. Duration 12:30. The modern diet consumes about 1/2 of what consumed a century ago, because salt was used extensive as a preservative. The Japanese have one the highest salt consumptions of the world also have one of the highest life expectancies. The Japanese women in particular have the highest in the world at 86.83 years in 2014. The life expectancy of men is 80.5. Salt is vital for our nervous system. Salt is crucial for our adrenal system.