How Much Salt Per Day Do We Need?

To answer the question, How much salt per day? first consider a 2014 American Journal of Hypertension article on salt.

Effect of Low and High Salt Intake on Risk of Death

If you are a salt-a-holic, salt lover or a closet salt lover, this is good news.

Is Too Much Dangerous?

To further answer the question, 'How much salt per day?' lets go to Dr Michael Alderman. He can help us to understand the great salt shake up. Is salt bad, is it good? The CDC says low is good and then they say low is associated with a 500% increase in cardiac disease. Then JAMA said the same thing. What is a salt lover to do?

Lets ask the doctor how much salt per day should we eat? Dr. Michael Alderman, MD is Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and of Medicine answers the question of 'Is too much salt in diet dangerous?'

"There are no clinical trials that prove that a low sodium diet will reduce blood pressure in the population. Not one." --Dr. Michael Alderman

To Much Salt: Bad For Few, To Little Salt: Bad for Most

It is true, some people cannot get there blood pressure under control unless they are on sodium restricted diets. But the studies on salt and high blood pressure do not separate the various people and their body make up nor the amount per body weight.

There are some medications that lower blood pressure. These are found in multiple clinical trials over the past 30 years that prove this. Yet there there are no clinical trials that prove that a low sodium diet will reduce blood pressure in the population. Not one. The studies hypothesize the findings. He went on to say, "The effect of reducing sodium has very little benefit."

There are rarely some who may have a specific genetic defect. They can be defined by clinical standards. Their kidneys poorly handle the salt and the management of blood pressure. Of the 16 genetic types that poorly manage salt, eight waste salt. They will actually benefit from increased salt intake. Of the other eight, their kidneys conserve salt and they benefit from eating less salt. Eating too much salt is bad for them. They are a rare subset of our population.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly About Salt

The heath benefits of reduced salt intake may benefit a very few people. The number of those benefiting is very small. At Water Cures we have found that increasing salt along with water intake lowers high blood pressure for almost all.

There is a problem. Reduced salt intake can create some other negative side effects. Reduced sodium intake affects renin. When sodium is reduced, renin goes up and it causes the body to hold on to salt it has. Because renin is toxic in high concentrations, it increases the risk of stroke. The bad and the ugly of low salt diets can be seen in the stroke risk.

Low salt diet = increase in renin production = increase risk for stroke

Decreasing salt intake also increases insulin resistance. There is no question that increased weight gain brings with it many other health problems, not the least of which are cardiac related.

Low salt diet = increase insulin resistance = weight gain

Low salt diet = Increase LDL (lousy cholesterol) = bad for arteries

Low salt diet = Increase triglycerides = Terrible for heart

Low salt diet in Type II diabetics = Increase risk of death

Note: This helps put a face on the study that says low salt diets increase cardiac disease risk by 500%

The bottom line, for most people, a low salt diet is not only unsafe, it can kill you in time.

Related Topic: How Much Water Do We Need To Drink?

How Much Salt Per Day for Humans: The Synopsis

There are a number of positive effects of adequate salt intake. Our body is 70% sodium and water. We need to constantly replenish to have the best health.

Our circulatory system and especially our blood is dependent on proper hydration.

Note: At Water Cures, we have seen angina chest pain, which was not resolved with 2 nitroglycerin, be resolved in 45 seconds with a pinch of salt and 1/2 bottle of water. Even a small percentage shift in the body fluids can make the difference between life and death for some.

In the typical American diet, the average person is thought to consume about 2 to 3 1/2 grams of salt a day. Is this enough or too much?

Ponder This: How much salt do you get from an IV in the hospital? See the box to the left near the top.

According to Dr Alderman, if you have otherwise normal kidneys, salt is excreted regardless of how much we consume. A healthy body will maintain our sodium as well as our blood pressure at normal levels.

There is no guarantee that if we reduce salt in the food we eat, we will have better health. There are also no studies that show we will have better health. Studies show the opposite. Low salt diets are unhealthy.

In the 1980's, there was a movement to reduce fat. Low fat was the rage. Then in the 1990's, healthcare changed, realizing they were wrong. Healthcare assumed low fat was good because it made sense. The problem was that the unintended consequences resulted in negative health outcomes.

What is the health effects of different salt intakes around the world? And if modern health care has it wrong, will you just survive or will you thrive?

Tale of Two Countries Salt Consumption

In Asia, the salt consumption is 2 to 3 times the intake of the US consuming as much as 6 grams a day.

The research from Asia is finding an increase in mortality with the increase in salt intake. What they consider increased intake is in amounts above 7 grams.

Note: This is only one of several factors that on its own may or may not make a difference. Consider their diets. How much of the Asian diet has become like the North American Diet? How much protection does the extra Iodine that they have in their diet provide them?

In the US, the lower salt intake is associated with the worse outcomes.

US Heart Disease Statistics: Last 45 years, sodium intake gone up and cardiac disease related death has gone down.

What About the Studies: The current studies hypothesize but they do not prove anything with regard to salt consumption. Data based on observations are not a sound reason for making health recommendations for people who are healthy. And the studies do not look at the health benefits of salt.

What about the Statistics: They should be taken with a grain of salt. Mark Twain said, there are three kinds of liars. Liars, dam liars and statisticians. Even though we quote statistics here, they do not speak to your personal needs.

So what is average person do? Keep doing what you are already doing. If you have health problems or if you want to improve your health, the foundation of improving our health is improving our daily salt and water intake.

Try the Water Cures Protocol: There is a way to improve your health. The water cures protocol can help. Go to The Water Cures Protocol and check it out.

How Much Salt Per Day By The Numbers

The amount of salt we need is related to our water intake.

The How Much Salt Per Day Factors

How Much Water We Drink: The daily ideal baseline is 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water for daily consumption for a life of minimal activity.

An individual dose is about 10% of our body weight in ounces of water. You will drink this amount about 5-6 times a day. Working in the heat or in dry conditions, exercising and athletic performance will require more water.

When We Drink: The best time to drink is 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before a meal and 2 1/2 hours after a meal. Drinking sooner or with a meal could dilute the stomach acids and affect digestion. Fruit Juices, although providing liquids. are not as good as plain water.

Our Kidney Function Out of the thousands of people we have reported lowering their blood pressure, only two have had a significant rise in blood pressure when using the water cures protocol. We do not have access to their medical history or information on why there was an increase. What we know, like the doctor said above, some people do not do well with more salt. For this reason, how much salt per day is dependent on each of us and our bodies.

What We Eat:If you are on a 80 to 100 percent raw diet, you will need considerably more salt. If you eat a low carb diet you will need more.

If you eat a lot of processed foods, you will need less. The North American diet provides us on average with about 3436 mg of dietary salt. If you take additional salt, be mindful of not exceeding the 6000 mg or salt consumption threshold.

The vast majority of water cures users have lowered their blood pressure using water and unprocessed salt.

With these factors accounted for how much salt per day we need.

How Much Salt Per Day: The Goldie Lox Amount

How Much Salt is Just Right: How much salt do we need a day? The amount we need is basically a curve. Not too little and not too much.

At the minimum, the very minimum, we need about 1.5 to 3 grams a day depending on our body size and how we process salt. The more we sweat, the more salt we will need.

When adding the water cures protocol to our diet, most start out at 1/8th tsp per 16 ounces of water. This will add about 1.5 to 3 grams depending on the amount of water you actually drink.

When you take the salt dissolved in the mouth and then drink water, you reduce the risk of consuming too much salt.

In time, adjust the salt up or down till you find the amount that is just right for your body.

There is so much more to consider on the question, How much salt per day? Other pages on this site will cover them.

The how much salt per day debate will continue. The science indicates most of us need more, not less salt than recommended. Consider this, what is in your best interest? Does a low salt diet help improve your health or improve the chances you will meed medical care from those who are saying eat less salt.

Being an educated consumer is the most important thing you can do.

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