Why Should You Care About Salt?
As a functional medicine health coach, I’m constantly educating clients about the importance of quality in the foods and beverages they put into their bodies.
Why should people care? Well, what we consume is what we become. It's what fuels and creates our cells, organs, tissue and ultimately our bodies.
If that fuel is of poor quality, imagine what our bodies become?
And one thing I try to impress upon my clients is the importance of salt. The right kind of salt.
Our bodies need salt to stay hydrated. And why do we need hydration? Well it’s important for sleep, mood, cognition, organ function, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, and delivering nutrients to cells.
And you know what? Sodium is an extracellular electrolyte. Um…WHAT? It means that the water we drink will not go to the right places unless we have salt in our bodies to attract it; our cells will not be bathed, nourished, and hydrated with this water without the right kind of salt.
White, iodized table salt has been heavily processed, bleached and heated and won’t work.
High heat changes the chemical structure of sodium chloride, transforming it into a state that is no longer natural and different from what our bodies are designed to digest and use. Plus it has added chemicals that we don’t need which prevents it from clumping together in the packaging.
I use himalayan salt, sea salt, or keltic salt.
From my blog post last week, we learned that proper hydration is also about balanced minerals; things like sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. These essential minerals allow our body to absorb fluids and maintain healthy nerve and muscle function, among other benefits. These minerals are missing from table salt and present in the salts mentioned above.
Stress, Aldosterone and You
Aldosterone is a hormone made within the adrenal glands which functions to regulate electrolytes and fluid balance in the kidneys.
In short, it regulates the balance of salt and water in your body.
Aldosterone levels tell the kidneys when to hold sodium in the body instead of passing it in the urine. Small amounts of sodium are also lost through the skin when you sweat.
Aldosterone is important for absorbing water but also interestingly can also help in regulating stress, particularly for those with cardiovascular disease.
Increased stress can also actually throw off your aldosterone production, resulting in increased inflammation, anxiety, hypertension, and more.
Aldosterone can regulate electrolyte balance in the body, but it can’t create quality nutrients if they are not present to begin with. This is part of the reason why consuming the right kind of salt or drinking Sole water can be so beneficial for your health.
Without it, your body cannot actually respond to stress in a productive way, nor help the cells in your body hydrate properly.
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In good health,
Holli
This communication may contain general nutrition and lifestyle advice. I am not a licensed physician. My advice is not intended, and you should not use it to attempt to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases, ailments, pain or other medical conditions. Please consult your personal licensed physician to seek advice about diagnosing, preventing or treating specific ailments.