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GliderGuider

(21,088 posts)

18. Excess salt in conjunction with a high-carbohydrate diet is devastating.

Thu Sep 18, 2014, 09:20 AM

Sep 2014

Last edited Thu Sep 18, 2014, 10:25 AM - Edit history (1)

High carbohydrate diets tend to be sodium-sparing, meaning the body holds onto it. Carbohydrates and dietary salt work together to enhance fluid retention, which causes high blood pressure and eventually heart problems. Thus the recommendation for most people - who are normally on high carb diets - to be cautious in their salt intake.

Low carb or paleo diets, on the other hand, tend to result in fluid loss due to natriuresis - an increased excretion of sodium. This leads to the reduction in edema and lower blood pressure typically seen on low-carb diets. In contrast to the standard dietary advice, many low-carbers find that they need to increase their salt intake in order to avoid an electrolyte imbalance.

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Salt Is Not the Enemy. Guess What Actually Ruins Your Health Instead? [View all] madokie Sep 2014 OP

If I was cynical, I would think it is because it is more difficult and more expensive djean111 Sep 2014 #1

The Sugar Industry Feral Child Sep 2014 #6

Correct. The sugar industry is nearly as bad as the oil industry. Atman Sep 2014 #25

That's my understanding. Feral Child Sep 2014 #31

it also gives us chemical reactions which become addictive. KittyWampus Sep 2014 #48

And, there's no irony here: chervilant Sep 2014 #78

Please look into corn syrup, corn products, and where they are grown... NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #60

I cringed when I read that sugar beets are GMO. dixiegrrrrl Sep 2014 #68

It is really hard to find products that use cane. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #82

Why? Feral Child Sep 2014 #90

"near-slave labor in 3rd world countries." We produce ~3X what we import. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #95

Apologies for misspeaking. Feral Child Sep 2014 #102

Also, Califa Sep 2014 #105

That's an important addition. Feral Child Sep 2014 #107

Awesome if true. My cravings are usually for salty things, not sugary things. tanyev Sep 2014 #2

Same Here ProfessorGAC Sep 2014 #92

Yeah, the recent trend to put sea salt on sweets does blur the line a bit. tanyev Sep 2014 #121

A craving for salt and sweet & salty things is usually a sign of adrenal issues BrotherIvan Sep 2014 #122

Um, I landed in the hospital with out of control blood pressure six weeks ago... CTyankee Sep 2014 #3

Or Feral Child Sep 2014 #15

No, I've been on these meds all along. The surge in bp was a direct result of eating those CTyankee Sep 2014 #24

As I mentioned, my readings might not be accurate Feral Child Sep 2014 #37

Oh, I check the labels of lots of things and if I find HFCS I don't buy the product. CTyankee Sep 2014 #46

Yankee....I have a FAST recipe for terrific homemade BBQ sauce dixiegrrrrl Sep 2014 #67

if he doesnt i do.... dionysus Sep 2014 #76

I would like it hibbing Sep 2014 #86

I would like the recipe, please! Ino Sep 2014 #94

I SO want that recipe! thanks... CTyankee Sep 2014 #97

I DU mailed to you and the others who asked for it. dixiegrrrrl Sep 2014 #104

Oh, my...thanks so much! CTyankee Sep 2014 #106

This is a thinner sauce than store bought dixiegrrrrl Sep 2014 #110

good idea. when I use a thin bbq sauce on chicken it slides off too easily... CTyankee Sep 2014 #112

Dixie I would love it too! Jazzgirl Sep 2014 #124

Yes please Dream Girl Sep 2014 #111

Annie's makes a good BBQ sauce. chervilant Sep 2014 #80

Exactly same with my SO PumpkinAle Sep 2014 #41

Your meds, your medical condition or other factors might have contributed. Rozlee Sep 2014 #91

I'm not obese and haven't been told to drop a few pounds to decrease bp... CTyankee Sep 2014 #99

WELL...... no1uno Sep 2014 #50

In addition to my B/P meds Feral Child Sep 2014 #70

Don't you think maybe the nasty carbs in those frozen dinners had at least some effect? tridim Sep 2014 #16

Yes, I avoid highly processed carb foods, too, and the frozen stuff often is full of that. CTyankee Sep 2014 #28

That happened to my son, too. Ended up in the ICU. femmocrat Sep 2014 #30

Same for me. Watch 840high Sep 2014 #47

Agreed.... daleanime Sep 2014 #69

Um, uh, salt intake should still be limited. Warren Stupidity Sep 2014 #4

Why? It is an essential element that we can't live without. tridim Sep 2014 #10

Yes. n/t Feral Child Sep 2014 #20

How much is that though? femmocrat Sep 2014 #32

Right. So that makes processed food the culprit, no? Demit Sep 2014 #44

Don't eat processed foods or any other poisons for any reason. tridim Sep 2014 #63

Because sodium is present in almost everything, and you will get enough without going overboard DebJ Sep 2014 #57

"limit" does not mean "eliminate". Warren Stupidity Sep 2014 #75

my experience is NJCher Sep 2014 #109

I notice a distinct difference in my taste buds now that I have drastically reduced sodium. CTyankee Sep 2014 #11

Many people think salt equals flavor... Phentex Sep 2014 #27

I ate grits as a kid growing up in Texas and I dearly loved them. CTyankee Sep 2014 #35

True! Phentex Sep 2014 #38

I gave into the corn on the cob summer thing. Paired with fresh tomato slices, they are CTyankee Sep 2014 #40

more flip flopping.. sendero Sep 2014 #5

right. it's called media attention whoring Schema Thing Sep 2014 #12

I like a touch of salt but am not fond of too salty malaise Sep 2014 #7

But you get the good shit there... Lochloosa Sep 2014 #23

Yes indeed malaise Sep 2014 #33

Just to clarify the sarcasm... robbob Sep 2014 #56

A recent study showed that for the small percentage of the population which is KurtNYC Sep 2014 #8

I'm in that small percentage I guess. CTyankee Sep 2014 #19

What! For the first time in my life.... daleanime Sep 2014 #72

This more recent metastudy found that �High salt intake is associated with significantly increased Chathamization Sep 2014 #74

The only path to real health is to not give in to your cravings. Period. randome Sep 2014 #9

Not giving in to cravings.........??? not easy for many, very hard for some... Stuart G Sep 2014 #14

It's never easy but then neither is staying sober for some. randome Sep 2014 #22

They are, I think you are correct. Stuart G Sep 2014 #26

Sure, but morphine is not essential, either. But it's very much desired when you're in pain. randome Sep 2014 #34

I'll have to stay addicted to caffeine. I had the worst headache of my life when I stopped CTyankee Sep 2014 #49

Different people react to wine differently, though. randome Sep 2014 #54

Yes!!!!!!!!!! DIET SODA WILL KILL YOU ...GREAT POINT Stuart G Sep 2014 #71

The same for 'low fat', IMO. Although I'm not all that conversant with any of it. randome Sep 2014 #83

Red wine definitely has health benefits. CTyankee Sep 2014 #100

I still reject the idea that wine is 'good' on its own. randome Sep 2014 #118

Dairy and bread are not "good" for you and hardly considered essential Dream Girl Sep 2014 #113

Sure, dairy isn't needed. Especially if one is lactose intolerant. randome Sep 2014 #116

If you like salt... orwell Sep 2014 #13

It's not just sugar it's all fast metabolizing carb- supernova Sep 2014 #17

We should learn from the French and the Italian cuisines. Their food is very fresh and CTyankee Sep 2014 #51

MD eating is pretty good, just stay away supernova Sep 2014 #87

Excess salt in conjunction with a high-carbohydrate diet is devastating. GliderGuider Sep 2014 #18

I've avoided salt most of my life, still do. Spring greens have a variety of tastes, including salt. freshwest Sep 2014 #21

A diet too low in sodium is even riskier than one too high frazzled Sep 2014 #66

Boiled peanuts? Dont call me Shirley Sep 2014 #29

Along with the dangers of added sugars, other added chemicals, gmos, processed grains Dont call me Shirley Sep 2014 #36

That includes "Fruit juices" knightmaar Sep 2014 #39

I stopped drinking a full glass of orange juice every morning...now I have just enough to CTyankee Sep 2014 #53

I add water to my orange juice, ice and a twist of lemon. NCarolinawoman Sep 2014 #119

Nice...I'll try that... CTyankee Sep 2014 #120

I dropped both salt and sugar NJCher Sep 2014 #42

Salt does raise your blood pressure if your organs, kidneys and liver, that ordinarily filter Cleita Sep 2014 #43

Even worse: low-salt diets usually cause harm MannyGoldstein Sep 2014 #45

One of my cousins wife was put on a no salt diet madokie Sep 2014 #52

it probably should have been a low-salt, not a no-salt, diet eShirl Sep 2014 #114

According to the spam in my inbox recently, it's water and salads that're killin' me. Iggo Sep 2014 #55

Potassium rich food like greens and tomatoes actually should be added to balance sodium intake lunasun Sep 2014 #93

Rarely I buy things that are low-salt but I do not add extra salt to my diet LynneSin Sep 2014 #58

Why the false dichotomy, the either/or? Too much of anything can be dangerous. n/t DebJ Sep 2014 #59

The problem I see is that there is already plenty of salt in everything. dilby Sep 2014 #61

This has the overtones of being woo ...but I agree with sugar being the worse thing for us. L0oniX Sep 2014 #62

"Doctor" James O'Keefe?? Blue_Tires Sep 2014 #64

walk down your local grocery store's cereal aisle riverbendviewgal Sep 2014 #65

Something many of us knew years ago - refined carbs of any kind closeupready Sep 2014 #73

I see a hidden war between the salt and sugar industries. Dopers_Greed Sep 2014 #77

Remember when they tried to get us to hate oil? The edible kind, not the Koch kind. valerief Sep 2014 #79

I eat salty stuff all the time. christx30 Sep 2014 #81

Misleading headline... Dr Hobbitstein Sep 2014 #84

Ha! To all my salt-naggers retroactively: Pbbbbbt! WinkyDink Sep 2014 #85

I have realized that sugar is bad,bad,bad and, from experience,..... Bonhomme Richard Sep 2014 #88

Why can't salt and sugar both be the problem?? cbdo2007 Sep 2014 #89

I did not know that... Koch Ebola Sep 2014 #96

Salt cannot be linked to mortality Ratty Sep 2014 #98

Food companies often charge more for dietary special need items lunasun Sep 2014 #101

Salted peanuts are not the problem marle35 Sep 2014 #103

The following are the benefits of refined sugar to human health: killbotfactory Sep 2014 #108

So... RobinA Sep 2014 #115

i have been ignoring 'experts' for decades. i eat NATURAL. nothing fake. i use BUTTER. pansypoo53219 Sep 2014 #117

I have high blood pressure and use low-sodium salt, RebelOne Sep 2014 #123

Well, IMO I've Always Thought It Was Sugar! ChiciB1 Sep 2014 #125