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Counter-balancing your salt for better health

By Ron Stone, Ms, Mba 4 min read
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Ron Stone, MS, MBA

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Ron Stone

In response to a recent thread on the Nutritional Agnostic Facebook group, this week’s column will focus on the concern about salt (sodium) intake and the related fact versus fiction that surround it.

First, it is essential to understand that true salt is loaded with trace minerals and nutrients, so much that it is not just a luxury item: it is an essential staple of a healthy diet.

Second, it turns out that not all salts are created equal. The refined white grain that people normally consume is as as far from the real thing as white bread is compared to whole grain, or as white rice is compared to long grain. Typical commercial “table salt” is heated to around 1,200 degrees, which changes its chemical structure, and removes all or most of those trace minerals. Then anti-caking agents are added, which among other industrial pollutants, often contain aluminum, which has been well documented as a bio-hazard, including causing cancer.

Health researcher Jim Dillan describes the situation as follows:

“When you have this mineral stripped version of salt in your meals, intracellular water is drawn out of your body’s cells to counteract it. This starts a chain of events the puts strain on your kidneys and can, over time, impair their ability to remove waste products from your blood.”

What we are left with is a man-made “Franken-salt” called Sodium Chloride, a far cry from salt as nature provides it. Space and time restrict us from going into detail here, but you do not need to look very long to find innumerable evidence of the harmful effects of NaCl, most commonly cited is high blood pressure (hypertension).

People have started to hear more of sea salt because it has hit mainstream culture – it is even promoted at some fast food joints. However, even that has caused concern because of our lovely efforts as a species to pollute the oceans; there is reasonable concern abut what contaminants are in sea salt. Then what shall we do? It turns out that pink Himalayan salt is the most pure because it was buried in the earth 10,000 years ago, kept pristine by Mother Nature. It has a longer list of benefits than NaCl has of negative effects. Again, easily searched information for those who want detail.

Now, please don’t be led to believe that you can eat all you want of pink salt; in excess, it too can cause water retention and related issues, but it will take a much larger dose, and you still get all those minerals. Actually, the key to using salt for health is to maintain a balance between sodium and potassium. In this culture, we get far too much sodium (and the wrong kind) relative to potassium. We need salt for normal body function, so it is unwise for most people to totally avoid it. Research shows that by maintaining a good sodium/potassium balance, the body will experience normal blood pressure, and optimal kidney function. As a culture, America gets far too much sodium compared to potassium: much in the same way it gets way to much omega 6 fatty acid compared to omega 3…a story for another day.

With that in mind, let us look at some of the “heavyweights” of potassium in the food world. Not surprisingly, these are mostly plants. There are no breeds of high potassium chickens.

Naturally, serving size will affect the bottom-line amount. But for “typical” serving sizes, here are some very heavy hitters. Amounts are for average size or typical serving:

1. Banana: 422 mg.

2. Avocado: 975 mg. Yes, you read that right: love me some guacamole.

3. One cup cubed Acorn Squash: 900 mg.

4. Sweet potato: 550 mg.

5. One cup cooked leafy greens: 850 mg. I like to steam kale, beet leaves, collards and spinach.

6. One cup cooked white beans: 1,000 mg.

7. Salmon is the highest fish – three oz. fillet: 540 mg.

8. One cup mushrooms: 430 mg.

9. One-fourth cup tomato paste: 665 mg.

10. Eight oz. plain yogurt (organic hormone free): 580 mg.

11. Three-fourth cup prunes: 530 mg.

12. One tbs. black strap molasses: 500 mg

13. One-half cup edamame: 500 mg.

14. One-half papaya: 400 mg.

15. One-fourth cup raisins: 270 mg.

16. Medium mango: 325 mg.

17. One kiwi: 240 mg.

18. Small orange: 240 mg.

19. One-half cup cantaloupe or honeydew: 200 mg.

20. Medium pear: 200 mg.

Of course, ALL the superstars on this list pack numerous benefits in addition to potassium.

Remember that if you sprinkle salt on any of these, you lower the ratio, so try to get about even amounts of potassium and sodium for ultimate electrolyte balance.

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