Salt intake

[Justin7108]

I was just wondering if we're getting enough salt intake? I use the my fitness pal app, mostly just for school purposes, and I noticed I only got 600mg of sodium intake throughout the day. My friend who follows this diet also told me that he felt like he wasn't getting enough sodium, so he mixes in natural sea salt in a cup of water, and drinks it once a day

[healthyvegan]

I use iodized sea salt at the table.

[Wren]

I'd rather salt my food than drink salt water. That sounds just horrible...

I occasionally use Himalayan salt without additives.

[geo]

Current Government recommendations are not more than 2300mg per day

Dr Mcdougall and Jeff recommend no more than 1500mg per day.

Jeff also recommends no less than 500mg per day and tends to prefer the lower end of the 500-1500 mg/day range.

Dr McDougall says not to sweat it too much if it will more easily get you to to start and stay on the program. Salt is the number one flavor enhancer for all processed and minimally processed foods. Its ubiquitous around the world.

Remember that all whole foods already contain salt in their natural state and thus its damn hard to get less than 500mg/day on this program, even if you eat the strictist MWL program. Also remember, most processed foods contain a ton of salt that will easily give you far more than the daily max. Jeff, in his forum, has several threads on salt intake that caution about the need to keep salt reasonable.

Also it doesnt make any difference whether you use plain salt, sea salt, pink himilayen salt blessed by bhuddist monks on a mountain top in Katmandu, or some ancient sea salt from a dried up underground lake in the deserts of Utah. Its still all sodium chloride...though some of those fancy salts and especially gourmet salts, may also contain unwanted other components like heavy metals. Iodized salt can also give you a dose of iodine if you think your somehow low on it (but these days I doubt you would be).

Dr Mcdougall says to cook without salt and then add a little sprinkle at the dinner table if you want.

Bottom line, its damn near impossible to not get enough salt on the McDougall Program, but if you dont watch the shaker or eat lots of heavily processed foods its very easy to get way to much salt.

[JeffN]

Just to clarify, here is what I 'do' say....

I don't have a "lower" sodium recommendation or requirement.

The National Academy of Sciences says the minimum average requirement is about 115 mgs per day, which is impossible not to get from following my recommended guidelines & principles.

Here is the reference

"Thus, a minimum average requirement for adults can be estimated under conditions of maximal adaptation and without active sweating as no more than 5 mEq/day, which corresponds to 115 mg of sodium or approximately 300 mg of sodium chloride per day.

Recommended Dietary Allowances
10th Edition
Subcommittee on the Tenth Edition of the RDAs Food and Nutrition Board Commission on Life Sciences
National Research Council
ISBN: 0-309-53606-5, 302 pages, 6 x 9, (1989)
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/1349.html
P 253

(NOTE: Adaption usually take no more then 1-2 weeks)

There is no RDA for sodium but they have established a "Recommended Safe Minimum," which is 500 mg/day.

The tolerable upper limit has been set at 2300 mgs/day

The "Adequate Intake" set by the Institute of Medicine (& the AHA, USDA DGA, DASH recommendation) is <1500 (depending on age, race, health, etc), which basically ends up accounting for about 80% of the population.


My recommendation is to avoid added salt but if someone wants to add some, is to keep the total amount < &/or =1500 and I give some guidelines on how best to do that.

My salt thread goes through all this in more detail.

In Health
Jeff

[hazelrah]

I think this is the thread to which Jeff is referring:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23557

It's been the most active over the last few months.

Hope I got that right.


Mark

[MikeyG]

I think this is the thread to which Jeff is referring:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23557

It's been the most active over the last few months.

Hope I got that right.

Thanks, Mark. That was very helpful. [Thanks as well to Jeff for providing his insight, as always.]

Thanks to everyone for the amazing discussion, and I hope everyone reading this is having a wonderful day.

Warmly,
Michael

[geo]

Well I think we will have to disagree Norm. I had a long response to your post, but I see Jeff has responded and stated most everything I just wasted an hour searching for. (Apologies Jeff if I put words in your mouth)

So I'll just leave it to this statement from Dr Mcdougall himself: "Our needs for sodium is EASILY met by the foods in a starch-centered diet, without added salt", The Mcdougall Plan, page 151, first paragraph.

[colonyofcells]

I have some seaweeds in my diet so I do not worry about salt deficiency or iodine deficiency.

[JeffN]

I wonder what percentage of the population is at or below 1500mg a day

From the linked thread on salt

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23557&start=30#p460874



In Health
Jeff

[geo]

Hi Jeff, should the min need on the chart be 115 instead of 125?

[JeffN]

Hi Jeff, should the min need on the chart be 115 instead of 125?

Yes. Good catch!

In Health
Jeff

[geo]

I only noticed because I found this quote as well, similar to the one you stated earlier:

"The National Heart Lung and Blood Association reports that 500 mg is a safe daily minimum intake of sodium. This amount will be enough to maintain the bodily functions that require sodium. In an average temperate climate, a normal adult may be able to thrive with as little as 115 mg of sodium each day."