The Skinny on Salt
by Jeremy Likness

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Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of the earliest known writings, the Chinese Png-tzao-kan-mu, mentioned more than 40 types of salt.
This work was written over 4700 years ago. Even older settlements have been found around the world with various devices such as pottery used to evaporate water to leave the salt behind. It is speculated by some that major civilizations flourished in arid regions at the edge of vast deserts due to the physiological need for salt.
Salt, or sodium chloride, is a chemical compound. Salt occurs naturally in many areas of the world. Salt crystals are cubic in form - if you view salt through a magnifying glass, you will see small "squares" or cubes.
Salt is an essential nutrient - your body requires both sodium and chloride, and cannot manufacture these elements on its own. This is why there is a human gustatory receptor (taste bud) specifically for salt, forming one of the basic components of "taste". Salt is an electrolyte and has a slight charge. Salt preserves food by making it difficult for microorganisms to live - the salt draws water from the cells of microorganisms and dehydrates them.
In the body, salt helps to regulate blood volume and pressure. The relationship between salt and blood pressure was known as long as 4,000 years ago, when the Chinese emperor Huang Ti wrote of the connection between salt and a "hardened pulse." Many studies have shown that increasing or decreasing salt intake for salt-sensitive individuals can have a direct impact on blood pressure.
Within the body, salt serves as part of the ion pump. Just as salt formed a hostile environment for microorganisms by dehydrating them, salt controls water balance in the human body. The sodium/potassium pump is a prime example of how electrolytes are critical to health (sodium and potassium are both electrolytes). Two potassium molecules are pulled into a cell, and three sodium molecules are pumped out. This is an endless cycle, with the net result that cells carry a slightly negative electrical charge.
For many years, controversy has existed with respect to the optimal amounts of salt in the diet. Unfortunately, many studies focused on the salt content of foods without taking into account other electrolytes. Biologically and physiologically, sodium intake alone does not regulate the sodium/potassium pump - potassium intake is important as well! More important than the amount of sodium in the diet is the ratio of sodium to potassium. While food labels are required to report sodium content, they are not required to report potassium content, which makes analyzing potassium intake extremely difficult.
Recent research suggests that this ratio is critical. While many studies have focused on high sodium content in the diet, it appears that problems with hypertension may be related more to an inappropriate ratio of sodium to potassium. Processed foods are extremely high in sodium. The major sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables. In recent years, the typical American diet has increased in the amount of processed foods and drastically decreased in the amount of whole, unprocessed foods such as fruit and vegetables. This means that sodium intake is potentially much higher than potassium intake.

Jeremy Likness is an internationally-selling author, motivational speaker, and health coach. His unique coaching services have assisted people around the world with losing hundreds of pounds of weight. Jeremy is the author of "Lose Fat, Not Faith: A Transformation Guide" available at Lost Fat Not Faith or through major bookstores (ISBN: 0976907925). To learn more about Jeremy and his unique form of coaching from the heart, visit: Natural Physiques or call Jeremy direct at 1-888-472-2829 (770-456-5580).
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