Salt

[fredericmarcel]

What quantity of salt or broth cube is necessary each day?
How long must I keep taking this supplement.
I read in "New Atkins for a new you" that you should take a supplement of a half teaspoonful of salt as long as you ate less than 50g of carbs.
As my goal is Dr Bernstein's 6/12/12, does that mean I should eat this supplement all my life.
After two days of broth cube, my blood pressure has already risen from 135 to 145

 

[ButtterflyLady]

What quantity of salt or broth cube is necessary each day?
How long must I keep taking this supplement.
I read in "New Atkins for a new you" that you should take a supplement of a half teaspoonful of salt as long as you ate less than 50g of carbs.
As my goal is Dr Bernstein's 6/12/12, does that mean I should eat this supplement all my life.
After two days of broth cube, my blood pressure has already risen from 135 to 145

The safe blood pressure level for diabetics is under 130/80 so I suggest you ask your doctor for a 24 hour test regardless of whether you increase your salt intake. Home BG monitors are not as accurate as the ones the doctors use, and even at home, stress can increase BP. That's why the 24 hour test is more reliable.

Salt supplementation was recently discussed here so you might be able to find the answer by searching the forum. People added salt to relieve leg cramps.

I have read that 6g is considered the upper limit for people trying to reduce their salt intake. I don't know how much salt is in a broth cube but that packet should say. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[Pura Vida]

I have been using Herbamare as a salt substitute for years/ does not affect my BP

1. A Vogel Herbamare Seasoning‎
   A brilliant blend of celery, leek, watercress, onions, chives, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and kelp, all organically grown. Herbamare Original replaces dreary conventional table salt. Use it as a condiment to perk up your recipes or at every meal to salt your food the healthy way.

1. 1. 
      
      

 

[lindisfel]

.Hi Fred,
If you blood pressure is rising due to sodium intake you are perhaps taking too much?
The normal process in the kidneys causes the body to hang on to sodium.
If the body is working the feedback system aldosterone/renin should regulate body sodium.
Cramps are not always caused by low sodium it could be low potassium. Blood pressure goes up with low potassium.

Some tribal societies managed on less than 100mgs /day of sodium.
You should ask your doctor many people have strokes due to salt.
Derek

What quantity of salt or broth cube is necessary each day?
How long must I keep taking this supplement.
I read in "New Atkins for a new you" that you should take a supplement of a half teaspoonful of salt as long as you ate less than 50g of carbs.
As my goal is Dr Bernstein's 6/12/12, does that mean I should eat this supplement all my life.
After two days of broth cube, my blood pressure has already risen from 135 to 145

The safe blood pressure level for diabetics is under 130/80 so I suggest you ask your doctor for a 24 hour test regardless of whether you increase your salt intake. Home BG monitors are not as accurate as the ones the doctors use, and even at home, stress can increase BP. That's why the 24 hour test is more reliable.

Salt supplementation was recently discussed here so you might be able to find the answer by searching the forum. People added salt to relieve leg cramps.

I have read that 6g is considered the upper limit for people trying to reduce their salt intake. I don't know how much salt is in a broth cube but that packet should say. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[Brunneria]

My understanding of the salt supplementation advice, by Voleck and Phinney, is to add approx 2 g salt a day.
There are usually more than 2 g of salt in a stock cube, so you wouldn't need a whole one.

Also, blood pressure varies minute by minute, across the day. When my doc wanted me to check my bp recently, i was asked to to take 2 measurements in the morning, and two in the evening for five days and then average the results.

Unless you did something like that for several days before and after increasing your salt then I'm afraid that your raised measurement wouldn't mean very much.

 

[lindisfel]

Hi Brunneria,
Surely one has take into account what a persons normal salt intake is already? It would be interesting to know what Southport GP recommends with their diet.
I notice he does say almond and walnuts in our diet should be unsalted.
D.

My understanding of the salt supplementation advice, by Voleck and Phinney, is to add approx 2 g salt a day.
There are usually more than 2 g of salt in a stock cube, so you wouldn't need a whole one.

Also, blood pressure varies minute by minute, across the day. When my doc wanted me to check my bp recently, i was asked to to take 2 measurements in the morning, and two in the evening for five days and then average the results.

Unless you did something like that for several days before and after increasing your salt then I'm afraid that your raised measurement wouldn't mean very much.

 

[Brunneria]

Going low carb tends to reduce the amount of salt we eat. Voleck and Phinney say that reduction can be compensated for by adding 2 g of salt back in. They suggest salt on food, or broth.

They also quote studies showing that there is no proven negative effect of up to 6 g of salt a day - and no proven benefit of reducing salt intake to the current guideline levels - unless the individual has particular issues with salt intake.

So if someone used to eat (for example) 4 g on a 'normal' diet, then going low carb would (typically) drop them to 2 g, so adding 2 g back in is advisable. Some may need more, or less, since we are all different.

They have an entire chapter on salt intake, benefits, myths and so on, in The Art Of Low Carb Living so you will appreciate that i am paraphrasing.

My personal experience is that adding in their recommended amount (usually in the form of a cup of broth) prevents me from feeling wobbly and listless - and in hot weather i add more to avoid cramps and muscle weakness.

I suspect that @Southportgp is picking his battles one at a time, with low carb being a far higher priority than introducing salt controversy into the mix.

 

[SunnyExpat]

Alternatively, he may just believe salt intake correlates to raised blood pressure?

But either way, the op needs to seek medical advice, and have his blood pressure monitored if that is required.
Perhaps an experiment n reducing salt intake, and seeing if his blood pressure decreases may be in order, then he will be better aware of his own personal requirements?

 

[Celeriac]

I don't cook with salt (though I was taught to) and only put salt on boiled or fried eggs. I find many things unbearably salty - a normal Kallo stock cube makes a stew too salty for me, for example. I use the very low salt Kallo stock cubes. Conversely, I'm fine with a stock cube as a drink instead of a snack - I particularly like the French onion ones from Kallo. I don't eat much processed meat and the cheeses which I prefer are all medium salt so I don't eat a lot of it at all.

 

[Brunneria]

Ooooh havent seen the french onion ones. Will keep an eye out. Thanks.

 

[lindisfel]

I agree, if we are not medics we have to go with the science and medical advice.
Our Drs know our health problems.

Incidentally someone was advising a member with low blood pressure on here to take more salt and it would increase their BP right away.
So some think the results of sodium change are fast others think it slow.
Actually from what I have read it takes several days to reach equilibrium with a changed intake.

I think we all have to be careful with the advice we give. One of the drugs for heart problems is spironolactone which blocks the affect of sodium on tissue, and causes the heart to perform better when there is poor output.
regards
Derek

Alternatively, he may just believe salt intake correlates to raised blood pressure?

But either way, the op needs to seek medical advice, and have his blood pressure monitored if that is required.
Perhaps an experiment n reducing salt intake, and seeing if his blood pressure decreases may be in order, then he will be better aware of his own personal requirements?

Alternatively, he may just believe salt intake correlates to raised blood pressure?

But either way, the op needs to seek medical advice, and have his blood pressure monitored if that is required.
Perhaps an experiment n reducing salt intake, and seeing if his blood pressure decreases may be in order, then he will be better aware of his own personal requirements?

 

[Totto]

What quantity of salt or broth cube is necessary each day?
How long must I keep taking this supplement.
I read in "New Atkins for a new you" that you should take a supplement of a half teaspoonful of salt as long as you ate less than 50g of carbs.
As my goal is Dr Bernstein's 6/12/12, does that mean I should eat this supplement all my life.
After two days of broth cube, my blood pressure has already risen from 135 to 145

I don't think going too low on salt is a good idea, nor is going too high. Keep an eye on that BP as already 135 is a bit on the high side.

You don't need extra salt if your intake already is adequate. Normal is around 10-15 grams of salt, easily confused with the recommendations for sodium which is a much lower number. If you have symptoms of low salt level, try half a teaspoon in a small glass of water but if no symptoms there can be reason to add salt. Are you on BP meds?

 

[Celeriac]

" You don't need extra salt if your intake already is adequate. Normal is around 10-15 grams of salt "

NO NO NO max salt intake per day should be 6g i.e. 1 tsp according to NHS
www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/salt.aspx

 

[lindisfel]

Salt damages many systems in the body.
It damaged my heart because my body cannot deal with salt and I now I have a pacemaker.
It took nearly 30 years for the medics to find out why I had high b.p.!
My meds now block the action of salt and my BP
is normally 125/65-70
D.

 

[Totto]

" You don't need extra salt if your intake already is adequate. Normal is around 10-15 grams of salt "

NO NO NO max salt intake per day should be 6g i.e. 1 tsp according to NHS
www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/salt.aspx

I know, we get those recommendations too but in the last couple of years I've seen a good few studies say too low salt intake is quite as bad as too high and average intake in Sweden is much higher than the recommendation of 6 grams per day. And I was a bit too generous, normal is more like 10-12 grams of salt per day.

Actually a very large meta study came to the conclusion salt intake varies very little over time and space and is generally around 10-12 grams of salt per day or there about.

 

[Totto]

Salt damages many systems in the body.
It damaged my heart because my body cannot deal with salt and I now I have a pacemaker.
It took nearly 30 years for the medics to find out why I had high b.p.!
My meds now block the action of salt and my BP
is normally 125/65-70
D.

Sorry to hear that but good they eventually found out what was the problem!

But too low salt can also damage many systems in the body.

When I get an AF attack my first step is to have some extra salt and if helps surprisingly often. But then my BP is rather low.

 

[Celeriac]

Dr Loren Cordain, who came up with The Paleo Diet, says that salt isn't healthy on his blog and gives reasons why, with pie charts etc. He says that Americans are eating 9-12g daily.

I have it on eggs, I have it in cheese and Parma ham and the occasional mug of bouillon. I don't get cramps or any other low salt side effects.

Not eating sugar and barely eating salt, does seem to mean that my tastebuds are really sensitive.

 

[lindisfel]

Are talking about Afib?
If so you need potassium not salt.
Salt causes the body to lose potassium.
Derek

Sorry to hear that but good they eventually found out what was the problem!

But too low salt can also damage many systems in the body.

When I get an AF attack my first step is to have some extra salt and if helps surprisingly often. But then my BP is rather low.

 

[SunnyExpat]

I know, we get those recommendations too but in the last couple of years I've seen a good few studies say too low salt intake is quite as bad as too high and average intake in Sweden is much higher than the recommendation of 6 grams per day. And I was a bit too generous, normal is more like 10-12 grams of salt per day.

Actually a very large meta study came to the conclusion salt intake varies very little over time and space and is generally around 10-12 grams of salt per day or there about.

No.
No mainstream study has ever recommended high salt intake.

 

[lindisfel]

Does your anticoagulant therapy affect your diabetes?
Who suggested you take salt for a.fib?

Sorry to hear that but good they eventually found out what was the problem!

But too low salt can also damage many systems in the body.

When I get an AF attack my first step is to have some extra salt and if helps surprisingly often. But then my BP is rather low.