Salt. More or Less? - HealthDay reports on the lab results of a salt study helping researchers understand the role salt plays in our survival. The study is based on the fact that salt is an "essential nutrient." However, too much or too little of these little granules in our diets can be harmful to our health.
A few years ago my husband and I switched over to a low sodium diet prior to and after his having heart surgery. We discovered that the low sodium diet was great for controlling his hypertension, but reducing the salt intake in our diets was not so great for me. As I continued along the course of a low sodium diet, ultimately depriving my body of salt, I began noticing increased fatigue and lower energy. I have since been diagnosed with a type of hypotension called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). This dysautonomia condition demands sufficient salt in my diet to plump up my deflated blood cells.
Bottom Line: It is really important to know if salt is your friend or your enemy. For me, salt is my friend. "Pass me the salt please."