Sodium vs. Potassium

I’ve noticed that some of the recipes here mention ‘low-sodium’.
So OK, too much salt can create health problems, yet, sometimes too little can as well.
Salt is a wonderful flavor enhancer. Sometimes elimination of salt can make a healthy food less desirable, defeating the need for lower sodium.
Sodium is like a partner of potassium. It’s the ratio of sodium/potassium that thru osmosis removes wastes from your muscles.
Believe it or not, if you eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables (sources of potassium), you need to not be on a low-sodium diet. Doing so increases you chance of a stroke.
Sure, we all too often eat processed foods that are laden with salt. Those are surely too much.
But the secret is, the more veggies ya’ eat, the more juice & fruits, the more sodium your body requires.
In my life, there’s nothing worse than un-salted pasta…LOL

If you have been diagnosed with cardiac disease or illness, chances are you have a diet low in salt told to watch your salt intake and even given a diuretic. This is a drug intended to increase the excretion of urine.It is an essential element of all living cells. Potassium is a mineral like salt. It is important to many biological reactions,including muscle contraction, energy release and transmission of nerve impulses. As you can see there is truly essential.

Sodium deficiency can cause symptoms including palpitations, dehydration, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, low libido. The bottom line, sodium is necessary for your body to stay healthy. So why talk about the danger of the report, this salt?

Yes limited quantities of salt is absolutely fine , but we need to understand there’s salt in almost everything that we have in our everyday food ( almost all the tinned and canned food have salt ) . Bread , cheese and even chocolate has salt . If you buy a lot of canned food i would suggest you add salt ( minimal , just for the heck of it !) .

Interesting to read everyone’s posts on low sodium diets. There are certain conditions in some people’s health that require them to minimize their salt intake. I am interested in recipes and cooking with a range of herbs and or spices that enhance flavor without the use of heavy sodium. I am only new to this forum, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading it. Thanks.

Low sodium diets should utilize fresh vegetables or frozen ones that are frozen just plain, not in sauces. Processed foods need to be avoided. Use lots of herbs and spices or mixtures like Mrs. Dash. Lemon juice on your food helps to reduce the craving for salt.

Interesting. I never thought you could eat so many fruits and vegetables that you actually NEED more salt in your diet.

Anybody know of a change to my diet that would make butter an essential nutrient?

I had a triple bypass in April, 2011. Low cholesterol, ( 140), gym rat, ate lots of veggies, rarely ate anything fried, normal blood pressure, 165 lbs, extremely physically active…you name it. I was the least likely guy to need it…or so I thought. ( age …58) Genetics and I was a smoker…that’s what did it, the doc said. And I grew up craving olive oil. ( my family has olive groves in Greece)

Now, $93,000 of medical bills later, the doc wants my blood pressure lower than 130/70. ( normally ran about 122/72 before the heart surgery) and my cholesterol below 70. And he wants me on a LOW salt diet too ? This is not making me happy, obviously…

I have cut back on my salt…but geez…I LOVE Cajun food ! I eat tons of fresh seafood and as we all know…it needs salt. You can only “doctor it up” so much with herbs and spices…but it still requires salt to have any flavor. Help !

OK, just so everyone knows that I’m pretty well informed about this whole sodium thing.
At age 31, I had a heart attack, resulting in a 5-way bypass.
At age 37, it was found that 3 of my bypasses had failed. They told me they couldn’t re-bypass my bypasses, and could only be treated with drugs. Went home, a month later had another heart attack. Smart heart surgeon decided he could attach my mammary arteries to my heart for blood.
By age 45, ALL of my bypasses were blocked, but those mammary arteries were keeping me alive. They said I should live atleast another 3-5 years.
Well, now I’m gonna be 60 this month.
Do ya’ think I haven’t learned much about diet as it pertains to heart health ?
Trust, your body needs sodium to function, just not too much. And like I said, the more pottasium ya’ eat (fruits & veggies), the more sodium ya’ need.
Now that doesn’t mean ya’ should start salting your veggies if ya’ don’t. Fact is, those who over do with salt, usually do so coz they are eating greasy foods. And seldom are eating veggies unless its fried…LOL
The reason for this thread is so that others may understand that ya’ shouldn’t go overboard when ya’ change your potassium/salt intakes.
Often when someone with a bad diet gets bad health news, they do a big reversal, by throwing away the salt shaker, and start eating salads and all their veggies.
Over years, the body has struggled to compensate for a poor sodium/potassium ratio found in those bad diets. If a person goes overboard in change, it can shock your system.
So cut the salt, and increase the fruits & veggies, but do so gradually.

I really like your way of expressing the opinion and sharing the information.