Health & Family The Salt Fix

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Simon Hampel, 28th Jun, 2017.

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  1. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

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    Just saw a video with Dr James DiNicolantonio - cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy, who was interviewed by Karen Thomson & Emily Maguire on their "The Sugar Free Show" about his new book "The Salt Fix"



    James J. DiNicolantonio, Pharm. D., is a respected cardiovascular research scientist, doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and the associate editor of British Medical Journal's (BMJ) Open Heart. He is the author or coauthor of approximately 200 publications in medical literature. His research has been featured in The New York Times, ABC’s Good Morning America, TIME, Fox News, U.S. News and World Report, Yahoo! Health, BBC News, Daily Mail, Forbes, National Public Radio, and Men’s Health, among others.

    We all know the dangers of sugar and salt: but the danger attributed to the second white crystal has more to do with getting too little of it, not too much. A leading cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy overturns conventional thinking about salt and explores instead the little-understood importance of it, the health dangers of having too little, and how salt can actually help you improve sports performance, crush sugar cravings, and stave off common chronic illnesses.

    Too little salt in the diet can shift the body into semi-starvation mode and cause insulin resistance, and may even cause you to absorb twice as much fat for every gram you consume. Too little salt in certain populations can actually increase blood pressure, as well as resting heart rate. We need salt in order to hydrate and nourish our cells, transmit nerve signals, contract our muscles, ensure proper digestion and breathing, and maintain proper heart function. The Salt Fix will show how we wrongly demonized this essential micronutrient as well as explain what the current science really says about this misunderstood mineral and how to maximize its effect so you can enjoy ideal health and longevity.​

    I have already identified that I crave salt more than sugar these days - and indeed I've been successfully "treating" my sugar cravings with salt (cheese and salami!) without really understanding why this worked.

    I already knew that the body craves salt when it is deficient and we should be using that as a guidelines as to how much salt we should be consuming (listen to your body!), but it's good to have confirmation and a bit more understanding about how salt works in the body (and I never realised the connection with sugar!).

    I've just purchased the book (eBook!) and will start reading it tonight - will report back once I've had a chance to read it.

    [​IMG]

    Has anyone else come across it yet? Was only released earlier this month.
     
    Simon Hampel, 28th Jun, 2017
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  2. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    I have not but I am not surprised by this at all.

    We have been told to slip, slop, slap whenever we go out in the sun and now nearly one third of Australian adults are suffering vitamin D deficiency.

    We have been told fat is bad and a low fat diet is healthy and will avoid diabetes and heart disease. Now it is estimated over 1.4 million Australians have type 2 diabetes.

    We have been told that salt increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.

    Not necessarily. Recently, evidence has been mounting against universal salt restriction guidelines. A low-salt diet may cause serious health consequences and higher overall mortality, especially in the presence of certain chronic health conditions and lifestyle factors. In this article, I will discuss scientific evidence that contradicts salt restriction recommendations, as well as potential health risks of consuming a diet too low in salt.​

    Shaking up the Salt Myth: The Dangers of Salt Restriction
     
    Perthguy, 28th Jun, 2017
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  3. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Founder Staff Member

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    The interview I linked to above James describes the phenomenon that different people respond differently to salt intake and indeed to salt deficiency. So once again, the blanket guidelines are only appropriate for a relatively small portion of the population and can actually be detrimental to others.

    Interestingly, Tim Noakes also alludes to some of the issues relating to salt (or more specifically water!) in his books when he talks about over-hydration - particularly in distance runners. Drinking too much water during longer periods of exercise lowers your salt levels too much which then leads to very low blood pressure and people collapsing (and people have died while competing because of exactly this). I have read "Challenging Beliefs" which does cover this a bit, but haven't read "Waterlogged" which goes into much more detail about the issue.
     
    Simon Hampel, 28th Jun, 2017
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  4. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    In terms of blood pressure, mine was very, very high. I forget the numbers but I was a bit shocked when my doctor told me that. He suggested I go on blood pressure medication immediately, but I told him I would clean up my lifestyle. I pretty much quit sugar cold turkey and my blood pressure dropped back to the normal range within 3 months. I haven't had it checked recently but probably should. Anyway, for me it was definitely sugar and not salt that pushed my blood pressure though the roof.

    I'm not sure if Mark Sisson is your cup of tea but I find his articles well researched. The good thing is all the research is public so it is easy to go through his claims and verify or debunk them. Unsurprisingly, Mark's article claims that a low salt diet is harmful to health. Makes sense to me.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/salt-what-is-it-good-for/
     
    Perthguy, 29th Jun, 2017
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  5. Bayview

    Bayview Well-Known Member

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    I think this can be generally attributed to an overall lack of balanced diet and lack of appropriate exercise....the main culprit being too much carbohydrate (sugars etc) and not enough "burning off", lack of proper fluids (water) and so on.

    There are some folks who get diabetes from other means; one of our very good friends is a very keen longer distance runner, super-fit and so on; she has Diabetes Type 1, though.

    True; lack of salt is an issue for athletes particularly.

    Soft drinks (and Sports drinks) can be high in salt (sodium) but are masked with lots of sweetener (usually sugar), so many folks are getting plenty of salt - but not reducing the sugar....

    Sports drinks are not as bad if you are a high-output athlete of course; but many folks drink them thinking they are better for them than normal soft drinks.
    how much salt is there in soft drinks? - Google Search

    Back to the Diabetes issue; it is extremely difficult for most folks these days to cut down the sugar, as soo many food items contain it these days; and one of the worst offenders is of course; soft drinks. Ironically; the folks who drink lots of it are probably getting plenty of the salt we require.
     
    Bayview, 29th Jun, 2017
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  6. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    I have very low blood pressure and have always craved salty foods.
    No sweet tooth at all.
    Marg
     
    Marg4000, 29th Jun, 2017
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  7. mcarthur

    mcarthur Well-Known Member

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    I thought this was going to be about Bernard when I saw the title...
     
    mcarthur, 29th Jun, 2017
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  8. Graeme

    Graeme Well-Known Member

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    Graeme, 9th Aug, 2017
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  9. Blacky

    Blacky Well-Known Member

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    'not enough salt' is a catch cry of Russians.
    Everything is salted (pickled) and additional salt added.
    My wife is always on me about my low salt diet. It's her belief that salt cures everything from common colds to cancer (seriously).

    Interestingly as soon as i start feeling a cold coming on (sore throat, blocked nose etc) I start increasing my salt intake. I gurgle, eat, drink and flush my nose with it. In the last 3-4years I haven't had a cold 'catch on'
    Weather it is the salt, or just healthier life style - who knows. But something is working.

    Blacky
     
    Blacky, 9th Aug, 2017
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  10. Jamie Moore

    Jamie Moore MORTGAGE BROKER - AUSTRALIA WIDE Business Member

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    That's my dude.

    Listened to him on a podcast once - changed my way of eating since.

    Who knows what to believe these days though when it comes to nutrition! I guess it's just a matter of trial and error for the individual. Find out what works for you and stick with it.

    Cheers

    Jamie
     
    Jamie Moore, 9th Aug, 2017
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  11. Stoffo

    Stoffo Well-Known Member

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    There isn't enough MSG in food either :p
     
    Stoffo, 9th Aug, 2017
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  12. Perthguy

    Perthguy Well-Known Member

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    People mock MSG but it tastes great to me! I like food with MSG. :)
     
    Perthguy, 10th Aug, 2017
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