Talk to me about... Salt

ChelleFeegan
ChelleFeegan Posts: 80 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok. I love it! I smother everything in it (bad I know!)

Someone told me or I read that as it dehydrates you it makes your body hold fluid thus making weight loss hard.

Anyone got any opinions or facts?

X

Replies

  • kim4375
    kim4375 Posts: 4
    OMG! I am totally addicted to salt. I constantly have sunflower seeds in the shell in my mouth. I would love some answers on this too!
  • specialemy
    specialemy Posts: 141 Member
    Here's something I found on salt, perhaps you might find it useful:
    http://www.naturalhealthcure.org/diet-and-diseases/side-effects-of-salt-on-body-health.html

    I have some members in my family that are on salt-restricted diets due to their health such high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, etc.
  • HTMTM
    HTMTM Posts: 31 Member
    One thing to remember is that what they tell you is your recommended intake of salt is hardly ever going to be accurate. he more you sweat, the more salt you lose, so the more you need. If you feel like you really want something salty, it's probably a good idea to add some extra salt.
  • cobracars
    cobracars Posts: 949 Member
    I'm not a Doctor, and I don't play one on tv. I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

    But I know that salt DOES cause water retention that will show up on the scale. It also contributes to high blood pressure. By watching my sodium intake (1800mg per day or less) I was able to stabilize my weight fluctuations. Too much salt one day and you hold water and seem heavier on the scale. Go a day without overloading the sodium and the water weight comes off and the scale rebounds the other way. You aren't gaining or losing fat, just water.

    Oh, and my blood pressure has done from 145/95 down to 116/79
  • BABetter1
    BABetter1 Posts: 618 Member
    My personal experience, and yes I am a recovering salt-a-holic, is that it did interfere with my weight loss. But, I drink the heck out of some water now, and I really keep tabs on both my salt intake and my potassium intake. If you're going to eat the salt, make sure you are getting enough potassium and water. Disclaimer: It is important that you do not go overboard with potassium either. There are lots of interesting articles on the net about illness and even death from too much potassium.

    It's all about balance.
  • Laurie1267
    Laurie1267 Posts: 169 Member
    I use a salt substitute (potassium) NoSalt and it tastes just like salt. That's great for cooking, but unfortunately so many packaged items already have such high sodium numbers.
  • cunfewzed1
    cunfewzed1 Posts: 80
    Yes, it will make you retain water. The good news is water is just water weight. Constantly keeping salt in your diet will constantly make you a few lbs heavier, but it isn't fat. If you're really going for a defined look with very low body fat %, it might start to cause an issue, but for general weight loss it's not going to kill you. If you do cut the sodium you'll see the scale move b/c you'll shed the excess water weight, but water weight is all a game anyways.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    I was reading about salt the other day actually (yesterday to be exact). Yes we lose salt when we sweat but most people eat three times as much salt as the actual recommended daily amount. For a normal diet, that is 2300 mg a day, salt restricted diets are about 1500 mg. The minimum amount needed for daily function is a mere 500 mg. 2300 mg of salt is about a teaspoon of salt. Head to your kitchen, get a tsp, pour salt into it and see how little that actually is. Potassium also plays a huge role in the balance of sodium in our body and most of us are severely lacking in getting the daily recommended amount for that as well (4700 mg). After a bad couple of days of sodium intake, I had gained nearly 3 lbs in water weight (No, I didn't eat an excess of 10,500 calories over my BMR, it was clearly water weight). After reading up on sodium & potassium and considering my family's health history, I changed my goals to reflect a daily 1500 mg of sodium & 4700 mg potassium daily intake. I didn't reach it my first day (yesterday) but the increase in potassium was significant and overnight I lost 1.8 lbs of water weight. I'm still trying to tweak things but I do believe that decreasing sodium will generally help with water retention. And if you add in an increase in potassium, it will be even better.
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    Ok. I love it! I smother everything in it (bad I know!)

    Someone told me or I read that as it dehydrates you it makes your body hold fluid thus making weight loss hard.

    Anyone got any opinions or facts?

    X


    I love love love salt....it is however very bad for you in large quantities lol water retention for us wt conscious people and hypertension for one in those worried about heart health .....not sure why the NEED for salt drives us all to eat too much of it though....perhaps the iodine they all are saying we dont get enough of now due to most sea salts dont have it in there ...guessing they figure most people are eating sea salt these days lol I do use it but for buffing off dead skin and getting the circulation spinning ....I did have a co-worker who literally had to coat everything she ate with tons of salt because her blood pressure was so low....her skin looked very dry and wrinkled...looked 20 years older than she looked ....course it didnt help that she smoked too but you get the picture lol
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    I was reading about salt the other day actually (yesterday to be exact). Yes we lose salt when we sweat but most people eat three times as much salt as the actual recommended daily amount. For a normal diet, that is 2300 mg a day, salt restricted diets are about 1500 mg. The minimum amount needed for daily function is a mere 500 mg. 2300 mg of salt is about a teaspoon of salt. Head to your kitchen, get a tsp, pour salt into it and see how little that actually is. Potassium also plays a huge role in the balance of sodium in our body and most of us are severely lacking in getting the daily recommended amount for that as well (4700 mg). After a bad couple of days of sodium intake, I had gained nearly 3 lbs in water weight (No, I didn't eat an excess of 10,500 calories over my BMR, it was clearly water weight). After reading up on sodium & potassium and considering my family's health history, I changed my goals to reflect a daily 1500 mg of sodium & 4700 mg potassium daily intake. I didn't reach it my first day (yesterday) but the increase in potassium was significant and overnight I lost 1.8 lbs of water weight. I'm still trying to tweak things but I do believe that decreasing sodium will generally help with water retention. And if you add in an increase in potassium, it will be even better.


    thats interesting....I know I am low in potassium as well....as are a lot of people from what I have read too......
  • eig6
    eig6 Posts: 249 Member
    I think it does make me feel dehydrated and bloated. I never used to think there was any reason for avoiding it but I got tired of the bloated feeling. I now avoid salty things and dont add any salt to my foods and I feel better and I dont miss is it either- I'm used to the natural flavor now.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    not sure why the NEED for salt drives us all to eat too much of it though

    It isn't really that as much as it is the amount of processed foods that most people eat. Salt is used not only to preserve a lot of it but to also make it still taste good no matter how long it's been on the shelf. On top of all that, then people will add salt to the food after it's already been prepared increasing the problem.

    I don't add salt to my food. My salt shaker sits on top of my spice cabinet and collects dust. The salt already in the foods I eat is what always makes me go over, even when I'm being good and eating clean.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    There have been some new somewhat controversial studies coming out that have shown that a majority of people are not sensitive to sodium, meaning that high amounts will not increase their blood pressure. However, a substantial number of people are still sensitive, and there is no simple test to determine whether or not you fall in this group. Therefore, it's still advised that people lower their sodium intake to lower their risk for hypertension.
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    not sure why the NEED for salt drives us all to eat too much of it though

    It isn't really that as much as it is the amount of processed foods that most people eat. Salt is used not only to preserve a lot of it but to also make it still taste good no matter how long it's been on the shelf. On top of all that, then people will add salt to the food after it's already been prepared increasing the problem.

    I don't add salt to my food. My salt shaker sits on top of my spice cabinet and collects dust. The salt already in the foods I eat is what always makes me go over, even when I'm being good and eating clean.

    I havent been able to drop the shaker habit yet but I do use the reduced salt
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
    I'm not a salt fan but when needed I use sea salt. It's as bad (in excess) as table salt but a stronger flavour means you need less, dropping intake.

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