We ended last week’s episode on a bit of a cliffhanger: is salt actually bad for us and if so, why does there still seem to be a debate? This week’s episode holds all the answers. We’re sifting through the noise to figure out what salt actually does in our bodies, how it might impact our health, and why we crave this delicious substance. If you’ve ever wondered how we’ve arrived at the maximum daily sodium intake (2300 mg for adults) and why salt impacts blood pressure, then this is the episode for you!
| Biology |
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| Taruno, A. and Gordon, M.D., 2023. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of salt taste. Annual Review of Physiology, 85(1), pp.25-45. |
| Gupta, D.K., Lewis, C.E., Varady, K.A., Su, Y.R., Madhur, M.S., Lackland, D.T., Reis, J.P., Wang, T.J., Lloyd-Jones, D.M. and Allen, N.B., 2023. Effect of dietary sodium on blood pressure: a crossover trial. Jama, 330(23), pp.2258-2266. |
| Mente, A., O’Donnell, M.J., Rangarajan, S., McQueen, M.J., Poirier, P., Wielgosz, A., Morrison, H., Li, W., Wang, X., Di, C. and Mony, P., 2014. Association of urinary sodium and potassium excretion with blood pressure. New england journal of medicine, 371(7), pp.601-611. |
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| FDA: Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply. 11/2024 https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/sodium-reduction-food-supply WHO: Sodium Reduction.2/2025 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sodium-reduction |
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One thought on “Episode 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance”
Thankyou so much for addressing the fact that some people need more salt. I have orthostatic hypotension and if I don’t get enough salt, I fall down every time I try to stand up. I have a really hard time maintaining my hydration and no matter how much I drink, without salt I just lose it all out with excessive urination.
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