Salt is made up of sodium chloride. Sodium is an essential mineral, “essential” meaning we must consume it from our diet, since our bodies can’t synthesize it. Sodium has many vital functions in the body, which I go into more in my book, The Salt Fix. Since we lose salt every day through sweat and urine, we need to consume some salt in order to live. When we become depleted in salt, the brain seems to react by sensitizing the reward system—and not just the reward system for salt, but the same reward system4 that drives us to other pleasurable activities. The purpose of that sensitization3 is that when we eat salt it induces a greater reward than usual, leading to an increased intake of salt. This organic appetite for salt and primitive “reptilian” response in the brain is over 100 million years old5 and it has carried over from our ancient ancestors. Its goal is to keep us alive by preventing or quickly fixing a salt deficit (or major salt deficiency, AKA hyponatremia6) in the body. In other words, the brain controls our salt fix. For example, that piece of chocolate cake or candy bar may provide an enhanced reward, leading to an increased consumption of sweets. In other words, low-salt diets may cause “collateral damage” through hedonic craving and eating of sweet, sugary foods, which are calorically dense and contribute to weight gain and other metabolic dysfunction. And while salt’s gotten a bad rap when it comes to the heart (more on that later), it turns out that sugars are strongly linked to increased risk for hypertension and cardiometabolic disease9. I personally believe that there is an inherent drive for humans to consume a higher amount of sodium than is currently recommended. This level may be around 3,000 to 4,000 mg of sodium every day. The average sodium intake10 in U.S. adults is currently 3,273 milligrams per day, which falls in my preferred range. With that being said, we’re all unique and so are our nutritional needs. When sodium intake is in excess of personal needs or a person is sodium-sensitive11 (i.e., blood pressure increase from salt intake is higher than normal) because of their genetic makeup, a reduction in salt intake is clinically warranted and should be monitored by the patient’s doctor. Reducing sodium intake is tied to a reduction in blood pressure, and this relationship has particular relevance for patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease. In other words, low-salt foods may translate into a greater intake of chips, popcorn, or pretzels, for example, predisposing us to weight gain through their excess caloric burden. Also, let’s not forget the impact of sodium on insulin, the fat-storing hormone. Since insulin also helps the body to retain more salt, low-salt diets can increase insulin levels12, potentially increasing the amount of fat you store with each calorie you consume. Low-salt diets have also been found to promote insulin resistance13, a major culprit for metabolic dysfunction, setting up the trajectory for type 2 diabetes. Eating the salt your body craves may be an easy strategy to also reduce your intake of, and perhaps even desire for, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Consuming a normal salt diet (in my opinion, around one and a half teaspoons of salt per day) may help support normal insulin levels. So for the sake of our waistlines, don’t fear the salt shaker. Instead, consume less of the other white crystal: sugar. The secret to health is simple: Eat real food and salt to taste.
