The importance of salt
The importance of salt, something that is often underestimated…
Everyone is familiar with the advice to eat as little salt as possible. Salt is said to have a negative impact on things like the kidneys, the heart and blood vessels, and it’s said to be bad for your blood pressure.
However, recent medical research has shown that salt is not the cause of these issues, but rather carbohydrates (sugars) are the culprits. In fact, salt is crucial, especially in a ketogenic lifestyle. You can read more about this in this article.
The Importance of Salt
Salt contains a high concentration of electrolytes. These are minerals that, when dissolved in a liquid (your blood), conduct electrical charge. They play a role in regulating your muscle function, nerve function, fluid balance, and acid-base balance. You can read all about electrolytes here.
A salt deficiency can have many consequences, such as muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, a higher heart rate, impaired kidney function, memory problems, concentration problems, and more…
Even More Important in Ketosis
It’s important to get enough salt and minerals with any diet, but it’s even more important with a ketogenic lifestyle. The reason for this is quite logical (when you think about it).
Nowadays, almost all ready-made food contains added salt. In a ketogenic lifestyle, you eat mostly natural, unprocessed foods, which means they don’t contain added salt like processed products do.
Take bread, for example. Many people in traditional diets eat multiple slices of bread per day, which contains added salt. In a ketogenic lifestyle, you don’t eat supermarket or bakery bread, so you’re not getting that extra salt.
Additionally, a ketogenic (or low-carb) lifestyle has a diuretic effect, which means you lose important minerals and salt. Another reason to supplement with extra salt. I don’t mean you should put a mountain of salt on everything 😉 but feel free to give an extra twist to your salt grinder when seasoning your dishes.
Pay Attention to the Type of Salt You Use
Preferably, use pure salt with the right minerals. In other words, don’t just use regular table salt 😉 Instead, choose Himalayan salt or sea salt, for example. These salts are unprocessed and contain many minerals that the body needs and can’t produce on its own.
Important Note!
Our bodies are not capable of producing iodine on their own, but it’s an important substance. Usually, you don’t have to think about it because it’s added to products like bread. However, since you don’t eat these in a ketogenic lifestyle, it’s important to make sure you get a little iodine every now and then. You can do this in the form of supplements or by consuming a bit of salt that’s been iodized daily.
How to Recognize a Salt Deficiency?
If you’re experiencing symptoms mentioned earlier in this article, there’s a good chance it’s related to your salt levels. Of course, the symptoms mentioned above can also have other causes, but a salt deficiency is the most likely one.
If you’re experiencing such symptoms, try dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and drink it. If the cause is a salt deficiency, the symptoms should decrease within a few minutes to a maximum of half an hour.