Salt. Yeah, just, salt (well, unrefined salt)

[Jo86]

I've recently started experimenting with Iodine in large doses. RDA (recommended dose) is 150micrograms, I'm trying quantities closer to 4mg. People online who knew the Iodine protocol well told me to increase salt, especially since I was taking Potassium supplements (the whole Potassium vs Sodium balance).

Now I was always taught salt=bad. Hypertension, high blood pressure, palpitations... all no no's.
I'm watching this video from 10 years ago https://vimeo.com/66122142?fbclid=IwAR0iJxBXXb5g9zaBW4YJPjL8pIanRFi9XNa-TmnkU8MkrmmMUhBzRmRzzPQ

And the guy explains how table salt is refined crap with all the trace minerals taken out (basically for longer shelf life and ultimately profit), so essentially empty nutritionally (and loaded with Sodium). Whole salt, or Celtic salts etc... don't increase blood pressure as is typically believed with any salt, and many of us may be salt deficient. Which would make sense with how I, for one, do feel lightheaded like my tension is rather low than high, have been constantly dehydrated for years, the relative muscle weakness... and Iodine + unrefined Salt are the two most powerful alcalinizers. Many studies show CFS sufferers are typically very acidic, and high in all naturally occurring body acids (see Dr. Russell-Jones' paper on that).

I think also so many of us are encouraged to take Potassium (because its requirements are so high, because it's important as a co-factor for many things...) that we may need to meet that higher intake with the salt, or else an imbalance will occur for certain.

 

[L'engle]

Yes many people do benefit from loading good quality salts. There was more talk of it 10+ years ago. If you search way back through the archives there are threads about salt and how various people were taking it.
Thanks for reviving this useful topic

 

[Bansaw]

I think salt helps me. I think Potassium and Iron interact though, so you've got to be careful with that balance. I once took an iron supp, and it skyrocketed my potassium.

 

[katabasis]

Salt is definitely a powerful supplement, especially when it comes to treating hypotension, which is a common issue in people with ME/CFS. I have orthostatic intolerance due to small fiber neuropathy, and increasing salt definitely seemed to help that symptom.

HOWEVER -- one risk of increasing salt intake that many people fail to recognize is its contribution to the formation of kidney stones. High sodium diets increase urinary excretion of calcium, which in turn greatly increases the rate of kidney stone formation. I would be very wary about increasing salt intake willy-nilly if you have, for instance, a family history of kidney stones. Within six months of increasing salt intake, I had passed my first kidney stone, and have passed two more since then. I had an unrelated abdominal CT scan just prior to increasing my salt intake, and no stones were visible then, so I'm pretty confident they were the result of the salt.

I think it is worth it to consider taking measures to avoid kidney stones if you are increasing salt intake. The most common kidney stones are made of oxalate, and it might make sense to avoid foods high in oxalates, or take calcium supplements when eating high-oxalate foods to prevent your body to absorb it. Also, further alkalizing your urine with citrate salts is supposed to help.

 

[lenora]

Hello.....you must keep your electrolytes in balance. While salts containing minerals are good they DO NOT contain iodine, which is necessary. Small portions of your ordinary table salt do contain iodine and that's all that's necessary. If you want to continue the mineral salts, fine....but make certain that some iodine is included.

I have hypertension, high cholesterol and have had a heart attack. I also have a number of stents, but have been told that iodine must be taken. I ended up with autoimmune encephalitis and trust me, you don't want to mess with it. Brain damage is a direct result and at this point they don't know what causes it. Salt plays a role to a certain extent and probably ordinary encephalitis. The other is very dangerous and scans cannot help identify the part of the brain affected. A psychiatrist is necessary for this and I know many of you want nothing to do with them.

So please be careful, especially with summer coming on. Did it cause the heart attack? I don't know, but you wouldn't want to chance it. Yours, Lenora

 

[Wishful]

Iodine + unrefined Salt are the two most powerful alcalinizers.

I think you're confusing two different definitions of "alkali". One is "involving an alkaline element, such as sodium or potassium". The other is "has an affinity for hydrogen ions". The latter neutralizes acids; the former doesn't. Add table salt to acid, and you have salty acid.

 

[L'engle]

@katabasis Thanks for the important warning. I hope you've been able to recover from the kidney stones.

 

[JES]

Salt is an overhyped dysautonomia/POTS treatment in my opinion. It may help with certain types of POTS as a way to increase blood volume. If you have hyperadrenergic POTS where your blood vessels are already too constricted, which I seem to have, then even increasing salt won't necessarily do much to fix the problem.

The curious thing is that ME/CFS patients seem to report better success on IV saline than just the saline water protocol. My hunch is that it could have to do with IV saline diluting the blood and maybe affecting coagulation and microclots that ME/CFS patients are speculated to have.

I'm not sold on the idea that those other forms of salts don't increase blood pressure. Some people I know seem to be very sensitive to increasing salt, while others can handle it just fine.

 

[linusbert]

I'm not sold on the idea that those other forms of salts don't increase blood pressure. Some people I know seem to be very sensitive to increasing salt, while others can handle it just fine.

me too.
i know one study which says that potassiumchlorid increases bloodpressure , though potassiumcitrate or non-chlorid doesnt or reduces it.
so the chlorid could be one main factor for this.

 

[Murph]

Here's another video where a professor of medicine recommends salt for people with the kind of mecfs that includes pots. Salt makes a big difference to me. After I saw this video I got a referral to this doctor and his prescriptions helped me considerably.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

I'm not sold on the idea that those other forms of salts don't increase blood pressure. Some people I know seem to be very sensitive to increasing salt, while others can handle it just fine.

I agree. Salt, in whatever basic form (other than forms like potassium chlride, which is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine, which dissolves readily in water and has a salt-like taste) is salt. Whether it's kosher, Black Hawaiian, Himalayan, Celtic Sea salt, Sal de Mer, you name it, while they all have slightly different taste profiles, they're all salt, and they all have the basic properties of salt.

The inclusion of the naturally occurring minerals in the natural forms, while seductive, is such a low nutritive profile as to almost be ignorable.

I've used Celtic Sea Salt for at least 20 or more years, along with an iodine supplement to make up for its absence i naturally occurring salts, mostly to avoid the processing and additives (anti-clumpers and pouring agents, among others) in commercial table salt, and because however small the nutritive value, at least it has some. I don't think I've noticed any health effects ME-wise one way or the other, but then, Ive always used it in relatively small amounts, and mostly to balance my potassium intake.

Still, it's heartening to know that some members here have found it to be a positive addition ....

EDIT ... to add info about iodine supp when using natural salts ...

 

[Jo86]

Here's another video where a professor of medicine recommends salt for people with the kind of mecfs that includes pots. Salt makes a big difference to me. After I saw this video I got a referral to this doctor and his prescriptions helped me considerably.

how much salt are we talking ? And what benefits have you noted ? Was it celtic salt, or at least unrefined ?

 

[Murph]

how much salt are we talking ? And what benefits have you noted ? Was it celtic salt, or at least unrefined ?

heaps of salt. I eat salty foods and drink wate with salt in it ( i never measured it but maybe as much as a teaspoon in a 700ml water bottle).

the benefits of guzzling lots of salt water are quite prompt: more alert, less angry, less beaten-down, more capable of finishing tasks. Takes maybe 10 min to kick in. I'm quite sure the problem is lack of cerebral bloodflow due to low blood volume. Water is helpful, salt is helpful, but salt and water together are like magic.

I've used all sorts of salts. I'm sure fancy salt would be best for my nutrition in the long-run but very basic iodised table salt does the trick I'm describing above just fine.

 

[Jo86]

heaps of salt. I eat salty foods and drink wate with salt in it ( i never measured it but maybe as much as a teaspoon in a 700ml water bottle).

the benefits of guzzling lots of salt water are quite prompt: more alert, less angry, less beaten-down, more capable of finishing tasks. Takes maybe 10 min to kick in. I'm quite sure the problem is lack of cerebral bloodflow due to low blood volume. Water is helpful, salt is helpful, but salt and water together are like magic.

I've used all sorts of salts. I'm sure fancy salt would be best for my nutrition in the long-run but very basic iodised table salt does the trick I'm describing above just fine.

Brilliant then !
No notable effect for me so far. I'm trying to take those 2 teaspoons of Celtic salt a day, just about. Mayyyyyybe a bit of improvement for workouts.
Have you noted, though, any side effects ? Heart palpitations, or some "hyper" anything symptom ?

 

[lenora]

Gosh, Murph, you must still be fairly young. At some point you're going to have problems with such a large salt intake.

Sea salt has good minerals, but no iodine. You're right...plain old table salt provides that. I hope you're having regular blood and urine tests. You don't need more trouble....do any of us? Yours, Lenora