Sodium increasing?

YAYA_of_2

I just started LCHF today. I did a lot of research and read about increasing your sodium for the first 2 weeks to avoid leg cramps. Have any of you experienced this? And what is the best way to make sure I'm getting g enough sodium while making this transition?

CarrieMoritz

You'll always have to increase your sodium well above the recommended RDA- there's a post in the Launchpad that talks about electrolytes that is very useful. One way to keep high sodium is to have sole water on hand, which is basically salt-saturated water. You start at 1 tsp of it diluted in 4-8 oz of plain water and work your way up to 1 tbsp. at a time in that plain water. I have about 2 tbsp. per day, and today I've had five because I accidentally depleted myself yesterday.

ms_smartypants

I put 1 tsp. of morton lite salt in my water with mio ....I also eat pickles and drink the pickle juice you can also drink bullion broth ...my salt is between 3000mg-5000mg...I have never heard of doing it for just 2 weeks ...I have been low carb now keto for 2 years ...wishing you much success

YAYA_of_2

Thanks y'all. I guess I should further my words. lol I read quite a bit about increasing sodium levels while doing LCHF. And someone told me about it but said increasing it even more during the first 2 weeks to avoid leg cramps. I was thinking about just adding it to my drinks so I guess that is a good way. I love pickle Julia even so that's a win win.

RalfLott

I used to date pickle Julia! (But she ditched me for some hot dog named Oscar.... )

DietPrada

I love pickles. I also have those little salt and pepper sachets in my bag, and have salt on all the things. But I like salty fatty food, which is why Keto works for me I guess

kpk54

Ha! I used to be on blood pressure meds and ate "low sodium". Somewhere along the way after weight loss and NOT being on BP meds, I switched to keto.

I reluctantly followed the advice in the Launchpad regarding upping sodium. Boullion cubes with EXTRA salt added, dill pickles and pickle juice became my friends as did 100-200mg of magnesium glycinate. I don't seem to need as much now but sure did initially.

Leg cramps are no fun. Never really got keto flu because of being proactive with salt.

YAYA_of_2

I upped my salt I Kate yesterday and today I woke up swollen and gained weight. I know that it's water. I will trust the process. I look at it like I guess I will have a helluva great loss!! Lol thanks for everyone responding and your helpful insight.

RalfLott

jackiefrost1013 wrote: »

I upped my salt I Kate yesterday and today I woke up swollen and gained weight. I know that it's water. I will trust the process. I look at it like I guess I will have a helluva great loss!! Lol thanks for everyone responding and your helpful insight.

Well, there are some varieties of hypertension/water retention for which a lot of sodium isn't recommended (according to Steven Phinney in recent YouTube vids)....

kpk54

kpk54 wrote: »

Ha! I used to be on blood pressure meds and ate "low sodium". Somewhere along the way after weight loss and NOT being on BP meds, I switched to keto.

I reluctantly followed the advice in the Launchpad regarding upping sodium. Boullion cubes with EXTRA salt added, dill pickles and pickle juice became my friends as did 100-200mg of magnesium glycinate. I don't seem to need as much now but sure did initially.

Leg cramps are no fun. Never really got keto flu because of being proactive with salt.

I will "cushion" my bolded comments above by reiterating I previously ate LOW sodium and reluctantly (could read cautiously) followed the advice and it benefited me.

Hopefully you are not still eating "highish" carbs and being too "extreme" on the sodium. To be more specific of the path I chose, I began eating keto to see if it might help with my neuro disorder similar to how it works with epilepsy and chose to jump in feet first in regards to keeping carbs less than 20. My supplementation with sodium did not start until the 1st day I became light headed. Probably 2-4 days eating keto level. Many would not agree with waiting until then but I'm not one to supplement until I experience the need to. The lighted headedness and clammyness was my sign and drinking extra salty broth helped quickly (about 20 minutes). Same with the magnesium for leg cramps. After 2 or 3 nights of leg cramps, I not only drank my broth with added salt (which was at most ~2000-2500mg), I began taking 100-200mg of magnesium. No need for higher amounts for me. Ever. My use of "salty boullion" today is only 1-3 times a week but that is MY body.

TL:DR: Need for increased sodium is common. Advice given in the Launchpad is good. Experts agree. There are many videos posted throughout the forum by docs, researchers, experts confirming the need. However, if you're still eating a considerable amount of carbs, there may be no need to increase sodium. That would most likely just make you "swollen", puffy, retain fluids.

cstehansen

If you have sodium sensitive HBP, the upping sodium could be dangerous. However, only a minority of those with HBP are sodium sensitive and only around 15% of people have HBP.

According to the study "Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion, Mortality, and Cardiovascular Events" published in the New England Journal of Medicine which followed almost 102,000 people over 3.7 years, optimal sodium levels are between 4 and 5 grams (4000 and 5000 mg) per day, not the 2.3 g (2300 mg) recommended.

Getting a subscription is free for those interested and searching for study 371:612-23 to see full study. Below is a table from it showing death and major cardiovascular events in relation to sodium and breaks it down for several other characteristics including blood pressure.

dasher602014

cstehansen wrote: »

If you have sodium sensitive HBP, the upping sodium could be dangerous. However, only a minority of those with HBP are sodium sensitive and only around 15% of people have HBP.

According to the study "Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion, Mortality, and Cardiovascular Events" published in the New England Journal of Medicine which followed almost 102,000 people over 3.7 years, optimal sodium levels are between 4 and 5 grams (4000 and 5000 mg) per day, not the 2.3 g (2300 mg) recommended.

Getting a subscription is free for those interested and searching for study 371:612-23 to see full study. Below is a table from it showing death and major cardiovascular events in relation to sodium and breaks it down for several other characteristics including blood pressure.

And this McMaster University study was not involved in any prescribed dietary regime, so not ketogenic per se.

YAYA_of_2

I do not have any health issues other than being over weight. No diabetes or hypertension. I wasn't like a blow fish this morning but I could tell that I was little swollen in the hands and feet and I know it was from the sodium yesterday bc I was not experiencing this before swityto LCHF. Now with tha being said I ate a lot of higher sodium foods than I was use to eating. I didn't "add" any more salt than I usually do, just foods higher in sodium mainly cheese and butter. I am gonna experiment with the sodium. I appreciate the advice and will know what to turn to if I start experiencing headaches and leg cramps!

Bonny132

Salty broths, naturally salty foods (cheese and butter) boiled eggs with Himalayan salt, pickles and pickle juice is my go to items.

baconslave

I'd like to add that low-carb and ketogenic dieters will need to watch the sodium long term. Once adapted, they may not have to have as much, but their sodium needs to remain highish due to the biological processes that run tandem to processing ketones.