5 Health Benefits of Salt in the Diet Thomas DeLauer

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You have no doubt heard about the dangers of salt and the need to stay away from it, but this is not a universal truth. We crave salt because we need it…
We need to replace what we lose through sweat and urination
Think about when you work out and you taste your sweat it is salty. We must replace this when we excrete it.

Recent research has found that there are not only dangers of too much salt, but too little salt (2).
The daily recommended intake of sodium continues to decrease, some citing below 2.3 grams per day. (2)
Based on a study of over 100,000 people in 18 countries, it was found that blood pressure effects of sodium were seen at excess of 5 grams per day, with moderate impact at 3 to 5 grams and not existent at levels below 3 grams, which is still higher than the daily recommended amount. (2)

Sodium has positive effects on the body as well, including having an impact on the levels of certain hormones (2). These positive effects are why we need and crave salt. Let’s go over 5 reasons salt is important in a diet.

1. Fluid balance and cardiovascular function (1)
a. Sodium is a component of your extracellular fluid and is crucial in tissue perfusion and cellular metabolism. The extracellular fluid volume is partly controlled by sodium and plays a role in cardiovascular health.
2. Nervous system function (1)
a. The nervous system is full of neurons firing messages to one another. This is made possible by changing concentration of sodium and chloride ions (salt is made up of sodium and chloride). This is how your brain lets your body know to move!
3. Digestion (1)
a. Salt is used to transport chloride ions in the form of HCL in your gastric fluid. This HCL plays roles such as eliminating foodborne pathogens during digestion.
4. Mood (3)
a. On a study on rats, it was found that those with a sodium deficiency displayed some symptoms of depression, such as not seeking out things that would normally provide pleasure.
5. Minerals (4)
a. Naturally occurring salts, such as pink Himalayan sea salt, are known to contain abundant different trace minerals.
Why then does salt have a bad reputation? Consuming too much salt and too little potassium is the opposite of how our ancestors would have eaten. This balance, or ratio, in the body, is important to health (1). Consuming more fruits and vegetables while moderately decreasing salt intake may be a better approach than just cutting out salt, as it is important to have some salt in the diet to keep you at your healthiest.

Another tip: consume natural salts, such as pink Himalayan sea salt, to take advantage of the trace minerals.

Resources:
1. Shaking Up the Salt Myth: The Human Need for Salt
http://chriskresser.com/shakingupth...
2. Salt Consumption has a Sweet Spot: too little and too much are both harmful, researchers find
http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/main/news/news...
3. Salt Might be “Nature’s Antidepressant”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
4. Minerals in Himalayan Pink Salt: Spectral Analysis
http://themeadow.com/pages/mineralsi...

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