How a saltless diet may affect your health
A low-salt or no-salt diet sounds ideal for people who struggle with high blood pressure or who have long believed that salt stimulates thirst and contributes to hunger. But a no-salt diet, according to dietician and nutritionist Jenelle Solomon, could cause more harm than good, although new research shows that it could help weight loss.
“There is good salt and there is bad salt. Considering we came from a salty environment (our mother’s womb) we shouldn’t be surprised that salt is necessary for optimal health,” she said.
She argues that many people believe that since a high-salt diet affects the blood pressure and triggers hunger, then the reverse should do the opposite. In fact, Solomon says this decision creates more problems than it tries to solve.
“You cannot function without salt. Without mineral salts, you can’t digest your food, your heart can’t function, your adrenal glands can’t function, nor can your liver and kidneys. Your lymphatic system will become sluggish and inefficient, as will the blood system,” Solomon cautioned.
She said among the many problems a low or no-salt diet could cause are:
• Dehydration (Salt helps the body retain the water needed for the fluid systems).
• Oedema (fluid retention — the other side of the dehydration coin).
• Kidney and liver problems (note that liver problems can undoubtedly lead to unexplained weight gain).
Solomon said mineral salts are especially essential for our structural and functional well-being. She pointed out that taking unrefined salt on a daily basis is like taking a multi-mineral supplement, only it is cheaper, tastier and probably better balanced than any multi-mineral tablet.
“All elements work together (synergistically) as a collective whole. If there is a shortage of one mineral, the balance of the body’s chemistry can be upset, like the weak link in a chain. For everyday requirements, it is best to supplement with a broad-spectrum mineral salt such as unrefined sea salt (Celtic salt is one of the best). Refined salt is basically just two mineral salts — sodium (Na+) and chloride (CL), together with other chemicals,” Solomon explained.
She said it is an excessive concentration of sodium and chloride that can and may cause mineral and fluid imbalances in the body which can lead to fluid retention (oedema).
“A lot of times people weigh and their weight seems to be gradually increasing despite efforts to lose weight. It can very well be water weight that is causing this increase. It is also worthy to note that the fluid imbalance resulting from excess use of refined salt can also lead to anorexia [an eating disorder that causes people to lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height],” Solomon shared.
