A danger to public health? Uproar as scientist urges us to eat more salt
New York scientist James DiNicolantonio says in his book The Salt Fix that the World Health Organisation and the US and UK advisory bodies on diet have got it wrong with their advice to cut down on salt.
Salt is necessary and good for us, he says. Eating more salt will reduce the amount of sugar in our diet and help us lose weight, he says. Indeed low-salt diets may be causing brittle bones and memory loss and more salt could fix diabetes, he claims.
“Instead of ignoring your salt cravings, you should give in to them – they are guiding you to better health,” he argues in his book, which has won attention for his ideas in the UK media. “Most of us don’t need to eat low-salt diets. In fact, for most of us, more salt would be better for our health rather than less.
I would agree with the doctors that eating a lot of table salt is really bad for you considering they add a bunch of fillers to table salt so it doesn't sick together and the way they process it removes all the trace minerals that your body actual need.
The best salts are unrefined sea salts or Himalayan sea salt that is mined from the mountains in deposits that are millions of years old. Himalayan salts contain over 80 different vitamins and trace minerals that your body needs to stay healthy.
All these minerals are easily absorbed by the body because they are already water soluble and that makes them really easy for the body to absorb. The Calcium and Magnesium is the main reason you will have relaxed muscles and better night sleeps. You're also going to get natural Iodine that was in the oceans millions of years ago. Now days most of the so called 'Sea Salts' are refined and don't contain any Iodine. Most People are deficient in Iodine which is not good because Iodine help regulate all the hormones that your thyroid glad produces and it also effects your bodies metabolism.
Himalayan sea salt is cheap to purchase too. I think I purchase a 5lb bag of it for about $20 with free shipping and that bag will last you quite a few years.
If you want the best electrolyte for exercising and sports then Himalayan Salts are for you. When I'm go for long bike rides I always fill up a water bottle with water and a pinch or two of Himalayan Salt. As you can see from the chart below this salt has all of those main electrolytes you body needs plus the essential nutrients you loose as your body sweats them out. So your body is going to feel much better drinking some salt water vs a bottle of Gatorade that contains dyes and preservatives that are not good for you.
I choose to believe these studies. Of course stick to natural and not table salts.
I am paraplegic and have enormous problem with recurring urinary tract infections from using of catheters. My doc even considered last winter to put me on antibiotics permanently. And then I try to take himalyan salt to help with sleeping cycle. It help for that a little but I am UTI free since than(8months)!!!!!! It works like charm.
Nice, did your doctor recommend it for UTIs or did you learn about it from somewhere else?
Thank you so much for this article. I have been using Himalayan and Celtic Salt for approx. 5 years now and my husband refused to touch it as he grew up with table salt. He would tell me that if I wanted to use the trendy salts that is fine but he will stick to his table salt. I have told him the benefits of natural salt and the downside of table salt but i read him your article and it peaked his interest. Thank you again. I believe it was what i needed to turn his head.
I'm glad I could help.
My wife is the same way and sticks to the table salt so I mixed about half himalayan salt in the salt shaker so she's forced to eat it. I personally think the himalayan salt has more flavor than the table salt.
My heart doctor told me that I need to eat salt. I remember his exact words: "Your body is made out of salt, if you don't eat it- you die!" I was having problems passing out in the heat. He went on to inform me that the whole salt/blood pressure link was based on one study that was thoroughly discredited back in the 70's.
Yup, high blood pressure has more to do with all the bad stuff in your food than the good stuff like salt. The body knows how to deal with to much salt but it has a hard time with unnatural ingredients like corn syrup, hydrogenated oil or MSG.
On a slightly different note- I read a book called Sugar Blues by William Dufty. In it he makes a connection between processed (white) sugar and cancer. The more I began to look at it, I can see a relationship between the level of processing in foodstuffs and a similar rise in cancer rates. I'm now convinced that processed foods are the largest contributing factor in cancer.
I think its pretty easy to cure cancer. The hard part is avoiding all the chemicals in the food, water and air that cause cancer.
Too much $$$ in treating cancer to look for a cure (and I agree with you). It's almost impossible to avoid all the chemicals. In Dufty's book he says that even if you don't use sugar, drink pop, or eat sweets, the average person eats 50 lbs of sugar a year. Almost all food contains sugar, as do cigarettes, for that matter. Sugar is 10x more addictive than heroin.
Everything in moderation is fine. Too much salt or too much sugar is bad.
White sugar is poison! I use raw sugar, not only is it better for you, but it has a wonderful flavor.
well yes, I am talking about raw sugar. I don't use white sugar either. Happy weekend! :)
I think I'm going to stop listening to doctors.
haha! listen to your body. you know what's best for you mate.
:)
Thank you for this informative article!!!