Eat the Right Salt to Taste

That’s right. To be healthy you need to salt to taste, but it needs to be the right salt. But what does it mean to “salt to taste”. And salt is salt, right? So what is the “right salt”?

Let’s first figure out what “salt to taste” actually means, by referring to Dr. James DiNicolantonio’s book The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong–And How Eating More Might Save Your Life. (If you click on the link for the image above, you will be taken to the Kindle version of this book and will be able to “Look Inside” and read the first two chapters. If you decide to purchase the book, I will receive a small commission that will be at no added cost to you, but would help me to be able to continue adding to this website.)

Dr. James DiNicolantonio is a Doctor of Pharmacy and Cardiovascular Research Scientist.

Dr. DiNicolantonio points out that salt cravings are totally, biologically normal, just like our thirst for water. We actually crave what we need. He also points out that everywhere no matter the hemisphere, climate, culture, social background, when left to unrestricted sodium consumption, people tend to eat 3000 to 4000 milligrams per day. He states that we now know that is the sodium-intake range for optimal health.

Worried about salt causing high blood pressure? Dr DiNicolantonio explains that there was never any sound scientific evidence to support the idea that salt causes high blood pressure. It was only a presumption that overconsumption of salt would result in strokes and heart attacks.

But we have not been told of the health risks caused by low salt intake such as increased heart rate; compromised kidney function; adrenal insufficiency; hypothyroidism; higher triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin levels; and ultimately, insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Salt is also known as sodium chloride, or NaCl. NaCl turns into electrolytes once it is dissolved in the blood and other bodily fluids, forming positively charged sodium ion Na+ and negatively charged chloride ion Cl-. Na+ and CL- are the electrolytes of highest concentration in our blood as compared to any other electrolyte (such as potassium, magnesium, or calcium).

When we restrict our salt intake, our heart rate goes up, reducing our blood and oxygen circulation throughout our body and increasing the heart’s need for oxygen. Any one of these effects, all produced by a low-salt diet, could increase our risk of having a heart attack. Getting enough salt creates the right fluid-sodium balance, so it prevents dehydration, low blood pressure, dizziness, falls, and cognitive impairment.

This alone from Dr. DiNicolantonio’s book is enough to justify salt to taste and to understand your body will know how much salt you need to “taste”. But I highly recommend you read The Salt Fix completely for yourself. It is a big book, even with half of the book being the sources (research, papers, studies, etc.). To give you an idea of what he covers, just look at the table of contents:

• Introduction: Don’t Fear The Shaker
• 1: But Doesn’t Salt Cause High Blood Pressure?
• 2: We Are Salty Folk
• 3: The War against Salt–and How We Demonized the Wrong White Crystal
• 4: What Really Causes Heart Disease?
• 5: We Are Starving Inside
• 6: Crystal Rehab: Using Salt Cravings to Kick Sugar Addiction
• 7: How Much Salt Do You Really Need?
• 8: The Salt Fix: Give Your Body What It Really Needs

The last chapter (Chapter 8: The Salt Fix: Give Your Body What It Really Needs) provides a five-step plan to help simplify the process of resetting your innate salt thermostat, reverse any current internal starvation, and bring your body back into its natural state of balance.

Dr. DiNicolantonio’s book was published in 2017, just as the first studies on sea salt were being published. I suspect if he had written his book a year or so later than he did, he would have included a chapter discussing the “right salt”.

Actually there are dozens of studies published that analyzed the microplastics/nanoplastics in the worlds oceans and in all sea salts. Here are just a few:

Microplastic pollution in commercial salt for human consumption: A review

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771418300647?via%3Dihub

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Nanoplastics in the oceans: Theory, experimental evidence and real world

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32658682/

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Potent Impact of Plastic Nanomaterials and Micromaterials on the Food Chain and Human Health

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30285421/

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Human Health and Ocean Pollution

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33354517/

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Bottomline, every ocean in the world has been studied and the research shows that every ocean has nanoplastics. And these nanoplastics are in every sea salt in the world, including the regular table salt in our local grocery stores, as well as that wonderful Celtic Sea Salt I used regularly and use to sell in my shop.

What are microplastics and nanoplastics? Extremely small pieces of plastic, microplastics are less than 5 mm and greater than 100 nm and nanoplastics (also known as plastic nanoparticle) are less than 100 nm. They are produced directly to use in consumer products, or originate from physical degradation via mechanical processes or chemical decomposition. It was found that Antarctic krill and potentially other species fragment microplastic beads to nanoplastics in their digestive organs.

And why is this a bad thing? Just from the studies I provided above, the damage to humans is apparent. Nanoplastics can enter individual cells. They can alter biologically relevant properties of our cell membranes, as well as have an effect on proteins. Microplastics have the capacity to translocate across living cells to the lymphatic and circulatory system in humans. They have the potential to bioaccumulate in secondary organs, with possible impacts in the immune system and cell health. Plastic nanoparticles are also able to pass through the blood-to-brain barrier and to cause behavioural disorders. Microplastics are biopersistent and may be responsible for negative biological responses in humans, such as inflammation, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and tissue necrosis, with consequently localized cell and tissue damage, fibrosis and potentially carcinogenesis. Need I go on?

So if all sea salt has nanoplastics in it and yet we need salt, which salt do I use now? There is salt that is not in today’s polluted oceans. That salt from ancient seas that never saw plastic has to be mined. Examples of mined salt are Himalayan Salt and Redmond Real Salt. Redmond Real Salt comes from an ancient sea in Utah. It is full of healthy minerals that you can actually see. I love the taste and the feel of the salt, so I salt my daily steak and/or hamburger with beef organs every day using the coarse salt in my hand grinder. Personally, I don’t want to grind it up fine. But when I mix up my electrolyte drink that includes salt, I use Redmond Real Salt that is fine.

Since we lose salt in our perspiration as we exercise, I make sure to have a glass of salt, magnesium, and potassium ready to drink when I finish exercising. I also have a glass by my bedside, in case I have leg cramps. Since I only have one meal a day (OMAD), I always take a bottle of water with electrolytes wherever I go. I mix my own sometimes, but the convenience of using LMNT Recharge electrolyte drink mix makes it my usual go-to. I prefer the raw unflavored pack, but they have lots of flavors – citrus salt, raspberry salt, orange salt, watermelon salt, chocolate salt, lemon habanero, and mango chili. None have any carbs or sugar. And the salt they used (I checked) is also a mined salt. Here is the link to LMNT. I am not an affiliate, so I do not get any commission if you purchase from them (update: unless it is your FIRST purchase, then I will receive a free box. Thank you!). You will find lots of information. There is a section on their website that is called “The Science” that describes studies on salt. Those of you who are “Keto” may recognize Robb Wolf. Go to the “Our Story” section to see all the members. And tell them, I sent you. Smile…