Sea Salt Surprise
April 16, 2010 Written by JP
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Throughout the ages there’s always been a clash between the norms of past and present generations. We see this is in the way people dress, the music they listen to and even the way they talk. And while there are always groups on both sides of the debate, there are also bystanders who watch on and think: “The more things change, the more they stay the same”. That argument can be logically made in the cultural arena. But I don’t think it holds water when it comes to dietary shifts that have largely taken place over the past few centuries. One of the more pronounced differences in the dietary composition of modern man vs. Stone Age dwellers is a shift in the ratio between sodium and potassium.
Major alterations in the way we eat matter because the human body simply doesn’t evolve nearly as quickly as technology and our whims would like. The fact of the matter is that many 21st century menu plans are top heavy in processed foods that are loaded with sodium chloride, otherwise known as common table salt. In the Paleolithic days the opposite was true. Most of the foods consumed back then were abundant sources of potassium and contained only moderate levels of sodium. This reversal of minerals has lead some researchers to comment that the “electrolyte mix of the modern diet is profoundly mismatched to its processing machinery”. (1)
Sadly, there is evidence from all over the world that people of all ages and backgrounds are frequently drowning in salt and thirsting for potassium without even knowing it.
- A recent inquiry into the micronutrient intake of children in London, aged 7 to 10, revealed a 68% likelihood of inadequate potassium intake. (2)
- A current review from Switzerland reports that the physiological need for sodium is about 1.5 grams per day. However many populations regularly consume over 8 grams daily. (3)
- Italian researchers uncovered that the habitual salt intake in men from southern Italy “was well above the recommended amounts” and that “sodium intake was only slightly reduced in hypertensive participants on pharmacological therapy”. (4)
- An even broader inquiry into the dietary habits of Central and Eastern European countries suggests that “fewer than 65% of subjects consumed adequate amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium”. (5)
- A Canadian study went so far as to proclaim that poor potassium status should be used as a marker for overall diet quality and “is significantly related to BMI (body mass index), blood pressure and heart rate”. (6)
The real world consequences of this aforementioned sodium/potassium imbalance is often the focus of scientific inquiries. Several recent studies address the dangers of both potassium deficiency and sodium excess, the first of which appears in the March 2010 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A group of researchers from New Zealand expounded upon the sodium/blood pressure link by examining the impact of salt on vascular wall function – an integral component of the circulatory system. Thirty-five hypertensive volunteers were asked to drink tomato juice beverages containing various amounts of sodium. As expected the tomato drinks spiked with sodium resulted in an increase in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. But an additional observation was also verified: there was a significant elevation in pulse wave velocity which signifies a “BP (blood pressure) independent effect on vascular wall function” which “further supports the importance of dietary sodium restriction in the management of hypertension”. (7)
Two additional publications currently warn that excess sodium intake appears to: a) increase urinary calcium excretion possibly leading to bone loss and; b) decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the kidneys (renal tissue oxygenation), which could lead to kidney damage in the long term. (8,9)
On the other end of the spectrum, we have potassium. The addition of potassium bicarbonate and potassium chloride was recently shown to improve the health of the cardiovascular system in a group of “42 individuals with untreated, mildly raised blood pressure”. Over the course of 12 weeks, the study participants were administered either a placebo, potassium bicarbonate or potassium chloride respectively. Both forms of potassium lead to positive changes in endothelial function and increased arterial compliance. In addition, potassium chloride generated minor changes in “24-hour and daytime systolic blood pressure” while potassium bicarbonate resulted in a reduction in urinary calcium loss – a measure of bone status. Another publication suggests that part of the therapeutic potential of potassium is mediated by its under-reported antioxidant activity. That review, by scientists from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, postulates that dietary potassium protects the cardiovascular system and combats insulin resistance by countering oxidative stress caused by excessive salt intake. (10,11)
The most direct way to address a poor sodium-potassium ratio is to avoid processed foods and focus instead on eating a whole food diet. But I was recently introduced to a secondary resource which may provide some added support. About a month ago I discovered a new form of sea salt that actually serves as a good dietary source of potassium. How is this achieved? According to the makers, “All natural NutraSalt is harvested from the seas of the Mediterranean and crafted with minerals from the Dead Sea for added health benefits”.
- Sea salt typically contains about 2,400 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon.
- NutraSalt provides about 700 mg of sodium and approximately 2,000 mg of potassium per teaspoon.
Initially, I thought I was ahead of the curve when I learned of the product at this year’s Natural Products Expo West. But, apparently others are catching on as well. A few weeks ago NutraSalt was bestowed with a Best of Expo award for Honorable Distinction in the grocery/meals category.
A notable characteristic of NutraSalt is that it really does taste like a fine quality sea salt. It doesn’t have a metallic or other off taste like many other salt substitutes. However it’s what you can’t see or taste that really singles this product out. Replacing even a portion of everyone’s salt intake with this potassium-rich sea salt could go a long way to tipping the sodium-potassium ratio back in your favor.
Here’s the best part of all. I have samples and discount cards available for NutraSalt. I’m happy to announce that I’ll be sending out a trial size sample of “The Good Salt” to the first ten readers who e-mail me at (jp@healthyfellow.com) or leave a comment at the bottom of this column. All samples will be accompanied by a coupon code in case you like the product and want to order it as well.
As is always the case, I’ve received no financial compensation in conjunction with today’s promotion. I simply want to let you know about an up-and-coming product that I think may benefit your health and mine. If you’re one of the lucky ten or if you’ve otherwise tried NutraSalt, please let us have your impression – good, bad or indifferent. Your opinion always matters here and it can help guide others to the best new products out there.
Be well!
JP
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Tags: High Blood Pressure, Potassium, Salt
Posted in Heart Health
April 17th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Hi JD,
What a coincidence! I have sea salt on my shopping list right now because my recent blood test showed that I am barely within the normal range and after reading more about potassium I had decided to give sea salt a try. As a low-carber I don’t eat bananas, but I do eat almonds, chicken breast, sirloin, spinach, etc.–apparently not enough, though.
If participating in the SooooSweet trial does not make me ineligible, I would like very much to see what NutraSalt can do to improve my potassium level.
Best regards,
Rosemary
April 17th, 2010 at 9:40 am
hey ill tke some!! neverseen that brand before here in Mississippi. right now i have some but the stats arent that good. for potassium i have somenosalt or something like that i use in combo with seasalt? good of bad idea?
April 17th, 2010 at 11:01 am
I’d love some if you don’t mind sending it to Canada??
April 17th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Rosemary, Mallory and Suzanne,
I’ll be in touch. I’d be happy to send you all samples of NutraSalt.
Mallory: Combining No Salt with regular sea salt seems like a reasonable strategy. I personally prefer NutraSalt because it doesn’t impart a metallic taste like some of the salt substitutes I’ve tried before.
Be well!
JP
April 17th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Very interesting blog! I had just read about NutraSalt and looked on their website. I’m also impressed with the varieties/flavors. I hope I’m one of the ten to get a sample! Thanks for the great info.
April 17th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Thank you, Carol!
If you see this note, please e-mail me directly (jp@healthyfellow.com). I sent you an e-mail but it didn’t seem to go through.
I’d like to ship you some NutraSalt samples but I need to know your mailing address in order to do so.
Be well!
JP
April 17th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I have low kidney function and need to control my sodium intake. This sounds like just the thing I need.
April 17th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Pat,
I’ll reserve a few samples of NutraSalt for you. However I must insist that you first consult with your doctor prior to considering using this product.
Kidney abnormalities can sometimes cause an excessive build up of potassium (hyperkalemia). Please find out if adding dietary/supplemental potassium to your daily routine is appropriate in your case.
I suggest that you print out the nutritional information from NutraSalt’s web site and show it to your doctor. If he/she tells you it’s appropriate, then I’ll happily send you the samples. My only concern is for your safety. I hope you’ll understand.
http://www.nutrasalt.com/health-faqs.aspx
Be well!
JP
April 17th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
I always love all your recommendations. How much potassium and magnesium should we supplement?
Allison
April 17th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Normally, I don’t use salt. All my drinking water comes from the local thermal mineral water. Hopefully, I get sufficient potassium from the water and from my diet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hot Spring Water
Chemical Analysis
Water averages 143º Fahrenheit/62º Celsius
Parts per Million
Silica (SiO2) 53.0
Calcium (Ca) 47.0
Magnesium (Mg) 4.9
Sodium (Na) 4.0
Sulfate (SO4) 7.8
Potassium (K) 1.4
Chloride (Cl) 2.2
Fluoride (F) 0.26
Bicarbonate (HCO3) 130.0
Free Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 9.7
Oxygen (O2) 4.5
Radioactivity through radon gas emanation is 43.3 picocuries per liter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do suffer from kidney stones and there’s some speculation that the high incidence of kidney stones here is due to the high mineral content of the spring water. I add lemon juice to my drinking water to help keep the minerals and oxalates in solution.
April 18th, 2010 at 7:18 am
I also use sea salt from Japan that I buy from an Oriental grocer. Is there any noticeable differences in sodium/potassium level in sea salts depending upon their location?
April 18th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Thank you, Allison.
The general RDI for magnesium is about 300 – 400 mgs a day.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp#en4
However some people may benefit from higher levels. I probably end up getting about twice that amount on a daily basis via diet and supplements.
The official RDI for potassium is 4,500 mg a day.
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm
I don’t worry about keeping tabs on my overall potassium consumption. I just try to emphasize foods that are rich sources of the mineral and that are low in sodium.
Be well!
JP
April 18th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Iggy,
It doesn’t look like the thermal water is going to help much re: your sodium/potassium ratio. But I think your diet is likely to be of benefit – based on what I know of it.
BTW, potassium may be helpful re: kidney stones:
http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347%2809%2901734-0/abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19911683
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/124/2/e300
http://jasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/20/10/2253 (a low sodium, high potassium diet helps too)
Be well!
JP
April 18th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Mark,
re: potassium & sodium content of different sea salts
Not that I’m aware of – unless they’re specially processed with added sea minerals, as is the case with NutraSalt.
Here’s a comparison of a few of the most popular types of sea salt:
http://www.celticseasalt.com/PDF/CSSAnalysis-Jan2007.pdf (virtually free of potassium – high in sodium)
Himalayan Sea Salt (Source Naturals brand) contains about 600 mg of sodium per 1/4 tsp.
You can ask your supplier for a certificate of analysis which should detail the exact mineral composition of the Japanese sea salt you’re using.
Be well!
JP
April 18th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Thanks for the links, JP.
I would be afraid of supplementing with potassium because twice in the past decade, I’ve tested dangerously high in potassium. It’s been over a decade since I’ve used a potassium supplement.
As for the last link, I’m definitely on the DASH diet, except in recent weeks, when I’ve been caring for my junkfood loving 91 year old mother.
Iggy
April 18th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Iggy,
I think you’ve got a good handle on things. I just hope you can get back to the diet that suits you well soon.
I’ll keep an eye out for other (non potassium-based) kidney stone remedies while researching in the coming days and beyond. Will report back.
Be well!
JP
April 19th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Hello JP,
Another great Post! please keep the good work going. If there are some still left you could send them to me.
Thanks
Sai.
April 19th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Hi JP,
Another gem for your precious collection!
Recently my Bone Density Scan in the DEXA reported a mild Osteopenia which at 76 is not too bad, but I must address and
or hopefully stop the bone density loss or reverse its progression.
Your article appears to give me some tools. Would the form of salt contained in in the NutraSalt be a good choice for me?
Any other recommendation?
I trust your guidance, please address it as time permits.
Regards and love to you and Mrs Healthy Fellow.
Paul
April 19th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Hi JP,
Today is my first ever visit to your website. Loved the article about asparagus. I love the vege and eat it a lot. I have eaten Morton’s Lite Salt for most of my adult life and find pure salt too salty. I would love to try NutraSalt if you still have the offer. Thanks for all your information. Great website!!
LB
April 19th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Good day, Sai.
I’d be happy to send you some.
I’ll be in touch.
Be well!
JP
April 19th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Paul,
Thank you for your kind words. They’re very much appreciated!
Reducing sodium intake may promote calcium retention. Also, it appears that potassium may play a positive role re: bone mineral density independent of it’s connection to sodium status.
This is a good place to start if you’re looking to support bone density via nutrition:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19968914
You might want to look into the viability of a silica supplement known as Biosil (Orthosilicic Acid):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2442067/?tool=pubmed
Finally, please be aware that stress is detrimental in so many ways – skeletal integrity is no exception:
http://www.healthyfellow.com/397/bone-brain-connection/
Be well!
JP
April 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Thank you, LB!
I’ll happily send you a sample of NutraSalt.
I’ll be in touch shortly.
Be well!
JP
April 19th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Awesome!
Several of my patients use sea salt to raise their sodium levels.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:34 am
Thanks for letting us know about that, Anne!
Now there’s a natural option to raise both potassium and sodium levels. It’s good to have options.
Be well!
JP
May 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 am
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May 13th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Hi what up JB
May 13th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
If ur not out of ur salt can i have some plz
if not all well
May 14th, 2010 at 1:41 am
Nick,
I’m sorry but I’ve run out of NutraSalt samples.
If you’re interested in buying a bottle, please visit this site (www.nutrasalt.com) and type in this code: NC010 to get a 10% discount.
Be well!
JP
May 20th, 2010 at 10:35 am
JP
I was so excited that my NutraSalt samples arrived. My initial taste test enhanced my excitement. It had zero off-taste. On the plus side it is very “salty” so I can use a little less which will mitigate some of the cost when it comes time to order more.
I think I mentioned before that my potassium number was near the bottom. What I neglected to say was that my sodium number was very near the top. It will be interesting to see what my numbers are in 6 months after switching to NutraSalt.
I’m not expecting major changes because we are not heavy salt users, but any shift toward better numbers will be good.
I am anxious to make your mixed nut recipe now that I have the NutraSalt, but I am having trouble locating it. Can you repost it or send me a link?
Many thanks!
Rosemary
May 20th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I found it!
http://www.healthyfellow.com/505/spicy-pecans-and-walnuts/
May 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Thank you for the feedback, Rosemary. I’m happy to know that you enjoy it as much as we do.
Please keep us posted about any changes in your blood pressure and/or blood work that may be attributed to the addition of NutraSalt.
I hope you enjoy the spicy nut recipe!
Be well!
JP
December 12th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Great post! My God! Thank you for educating us on things that seriously matter. I’ve been into consuming healthy things and being as sharp as I can with what goes into my body. This can help anyone learn! Thanks again.
Ryan
December 12th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Many thanks, Ryan!
Be well!
JP