The salt debate
“The salt debate” goes on. And that’s the title of a thread on the
HSI Forum where several HSI members have expanded on the
information I sent you last week in the e-Alert “Red State, Blue
State,” regarding the necessity for sodium in the diet – even for
those with high blood pressure.
A member named Tony starts the thread off with this comment:
“There is a large vitamin chain in LA that sells every conceivable
vitamin and misc substance known to man but they do not and will
not sell salt. I have argued with them from time to time but they
will not budge on the subject, maintaining that ‘salt is bad for you’.
I have just read HSI newsletter and I was pleased to see there is
some progress in getting people to see that salt (in correct
proportions with other minerals) is very vital indeed.” And Tony
adds a useful comment for athletes: When he plays soccer, he’s
found that he experiences pulled or torn muscles “in direct
proportion to lack of salt.”
“A dirty little secret” is what a member named Howard calls this
bit of information: “Salt, wherever it is mined, contains vital
minerals in its natural form (some areas contain more minerals
than others). In order to make the salt avoid clumping and run
more freely, it is ‘refined’. Here’s the kicker, the minerals, that are
the discards of the refining process, are sold to supplement
companies to add to their products. Unrefined salt is NOT bad for
you. Only the stuff in the supermarkets that brag about the free
flow and no clumping is dangerous. Use sea salt or other
unadulterated salt products in your daily life. Besides, it tastes
better.”
“Yes, I fully agree, ” says a member named Adria. “Unrefined Salt
is the way to go. I began using Celtic salt a year or so ago. I’ve
always craved salt, and do need extra because of adrenal
insufficiency. I’ve NEVER had a high blood pressure reading (age
67 now) and consume lots of Celtic Salt (no other), as well as kelp.
I highly recommend it.”
But not all sea salt products are created equal, according to Annie:
“I’ve read that some sea salt is a bit more processed than other sea
salt. But, Celtic and Rock Salt seem to be the most natural.”
Anyone who avoids salt and suffers from headaches may find this
comment intriguing – from a member named Sue: “At one time in
my life, I listened to all the garbage about cutting back on salt and
I got really bad headaches. Then, I learned about heat stroke (first
symptom is headache) and how to treat it. So, I started salting my
food adequately, and I quit having headaches. Rarely, I get a
headache, but when I do, I mix yogurt and concentrated orange
juice and add some salt and magnesium oxide.”
And here’s an important note for those who suffer from restless leg
syndrome. Sue says that when she goes to bed, her legs sometimes
jerk and prevent her from sleeping. Her solution? “Drinking warm
salt water helps me sleep.”
As these and several other postings on “The salt debate” thread
illustrate, sodium intake should not be avoided.
Other topics on the HSI Forum this week include:
* Shingles
* Sex, lies and Niagra
* High resting heart rate
* Whole food supplements
* Bone-healing nutrients
* Inflammation of the muscles
To join in with any of these discussions, just go to our web site at
www.hsionline.com, find your way to the Forum, and add your
own insights and comments about health, nutrition and natural
treatments.
RAVEN MAD
Revenge is a dish best served cold – and with a dash of Old Bay
seasoning. That was the story last Sunday night as Baltimore
avenged its opening day 20-3 loss and served Cleveland some old-
style Ravens football. For those of you that haven’t been following
along, that means unparalleled defense and, well, how shall I put
itvirtually no offense.
I have to give Cleveland fans a well-deserved nod as their team
smoked us on the kick-off, scoring 7 points within 14 seconds. For
the next 3 1/2 quarters, neither team really did anything worth
watching. In the last few minutes, though, the Ravens got
ridiculously lucky with field position thanks to an 8-yard punt by
the Browns. From a whopping 10 yards out or so, Baltimore scored
its only offensive touchdown of the night.
Then when the Browns were deep in Ravens’ territory and just
about to tie the game up late in the fourth, Jeff Garcia threw his
only interception of the night. Ed Reed was there to pick it off and
return it 106 yards – a new NFL record. For those of us in
Baltimore, it was a beautiful way to end the night.
On Sunday, the Ravens travel up the NJ turnpike (no doubt
sporting EZ pass on the team bus) to face the NY Jets at the
Meadowlands. The Jets are having a great season but will be
missing their starting quarterback, Chad Pennington. Don’t worry
about them too much, though. Their backup is Quincy Carter, who
was starting for Dallas until he was unexpectedly cut for rule
violations. Regardless, their backup is really a starter.
However, as one commentator put it, “Quincy Carter is a talented
quarterback. The only problem is he has to play his first game
against the Ravens defense.” And if you’ve never played against
Ray Lewis and his boys, I hear it can be a little intimidating.
Happily, I will be in New Jersey cheering on my Ravens thanks to
an HSI colleague with spare tickets. So in that sea of green, look
for the spot of purple holding up the big can of Old Bay. And, as
always Go RAVENS!
