For years, I’ve been avoiding salt.
In school and during my practice in the hospital setting, salt has always been portrayed as the bad guy responsible for cardiovascular disease and many chronic conditions. The truth is that sugar is the evil, not salt.
A sufficient intake of high-quality salt is necessary to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, which is the base for a functioning, healthy body.
Specifically, sodium and other electrolytes (which naturally make salt) play a vital role in cellular synapses – the communication points between cells. For instance, we have sodium/potassium channels across the entire body and when sodium “flows in”, it tells the nerve cells to fire, which is the base for muscular contraction and neurotransmitter release.
It is also crucial to understand that minerals are the building blocks of enzymes, the tiny helpers inside our body’s factory (cells). Enzymes help speed up important jobs, like breaking down food into smaller pieces so our body can use them or helping to build new things our body needs, including sex hormones, muscles, neurotransmitters, etc. Without enzymes, these jobs would happen too slowly or not at all. So, enzymes are like the workers that make everything run smoothly in our body. Without minerals, we cannot form enzymes, and this makes the body enter a state of stress and anxiety – and yes, believe it or not, this can really translate into a feeling of depression or constant anxiety.
The right consumption of electrolytes becomes crucial, especially in low-carb diets (like the one I follow and recommend). We need more salt for the biochemical changes that happen inside the body. When we decrease carbohydrates, our body processes electrolytes differently. This causes our kidneys to excrete more sodium and water.
However, NOT all salt is good!
I recommend using high-quality options like Redmond salt or Oryx Desert Salt. On the other hand, I strongly recommend avoiding commercial table salt, which contains additives and chemicals that can harm the body. I have contrasting opinions about Himalayan salt because what we find in supermarkets is often low-quality and owes its color to artificial additives. Unless you’re sure it’s high-quality Himalayan salt, opt for unrefined sea salt or Oryx desert salt as a safer choice.
