Dangers of a low salt diet

A low salt diet is a diet that includes no more than 1,500 to 2,400 mg of sodium per day. Although the amount of sodium varies depending on the source, sodium occurs naturally in most foods. The most common form of sodium is sodium chloride that may be found in table or sea salt. Milk, beets, and celery also naturally contain sodium, as drinking water does.

Japanese paradox – the longest life and the highest salt consumption

It is well known that the Japanese have the longest life expectancy rates in the world. It is less known however, that they also have the highest rates of salt consumption.

Sodium ions are vital for generation of nerve impulses, for maintenance of electrolyte balance and fluid balance, for heart activity and certain metabolic functions. It helps your muscles stay strong, and keeps your cells and brain functioning. Actually, no mineral is more essential to human survival than sodium.

Health risks of a low salt diet

Far from being harmful, salt is actually is of vital importance, but in many developed countries salt has been considered as a primary cause of high blood pressure and heart disease. Now lots of studies are shaking up the salt myth and warning about the dangers of salt restriction that pose a serious threat to human health.

• Increased risk of heart attacks or strokes: There is no clear evidence for the heart disease benefits. Interestingly, it’s just the opposite – many resent studies show that low salt diets are linked to an increased risk of death in people with heart failure.
• Increased risk of death in people with heart failure: Heart failure is when the heart is not able to pump enough blood around the body to meet its needs for oxygen. There’s some evidence that people with heart failure may have a higher risk of dying on a low sodium diet.
• Increase in insulin resistance: Low sodium diets have been associated with increased insulin resistance, a condition that causes higher blood sugar and insulin levels. This may lead to type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases.
• Increased cholesterol levels: Some studies have found that low sodium diets may increase both LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels – factors that can increase the risk of heart disease.

The researchers from McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences (Canada) have found that, contrary to popular belief, low-salt diets may not be beneficial and may actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death compared to average salt consumption. A large worldwide study that involved more than 130,000 people from 49 countries showed that regardless of whether people have high blood pressure, low-sodium intake is associated with more heart attacks, strokes and deaths compared to average intake. They looked specifically at whether the relationship between sodium (salt) intake and death, heart disease and stroke differs in people with high blood pressure compared to those with normal blood pressure.

The sodium–potassium pump

The sodium–potassium (Na +/ K+) pump is responsible for nerve conduction, muscle contractions (including your heart beats), blood pressure, and removing acid from the body … and much more. Sodium and potassium are the two primary electrolytes in the body. Sodium and potassium ions are pumped in opposite directions across the membrane building up a chemical and electrical gradient for each. Sodium is pumped out of cells while potassium into cells, both against their concentration gradients.

living human cells pump three sodium ions out of the cell in exchange for two potassium ions pumped in; comparing ion concentrations across the cell membrane, inside to outside, potassium measures about 40:1, and sodium, about 1:10. In nerve cells, the electrical charge across the cell membrane enables transmission of the nerve impulse – an action potential – when the charge is dissipated; sodium plays a key role in that activity.

The problem is that currently, most people consume too much sodium and not enough potassium.