Rick strong posted this:
>>> I have been loading my softener with potassium crystals rather than sodium
for years believing the "soft" hype re benefits of potassium vs. sodium.
Any knowledgeable comments in addition to Rachel's would be welcome!  Rick

Our reply:

In the article, "Diet, Evolution, and Aging:  The pathophysiological effects
of the Post-agricultural Inversion of the Potassium to Sodium and Base to
Chloride Ratios in Human Diet," Euro J Nutr 40:200-213 (2001), p. 201,
the authors state "the electrolyte mix of the modern diet is profoundly
mismatched to its processing machinery and the extent of the mismatch
increases with age.  As a consequence of the diet-kidney mismatch,
contemporary humans are not only overloaded with Na+ (sodium) and Cl-
(chloride) but also deficient in K+ (potassium) and HCO3- (bicarbonate)."

Also, on p. 202 to 203, they have a section called "Specific Adverse Effects
of Excessive Dietary Chloride," in which they discuss the research
demonstrating:

1) sodium chloride reliably raises blood pressure in animals but sodium
bicarbonate has actually been shown to lower blood pressure in humans (thus
indicating that the chloride is the culprit);
2) animals given potassium chloride (KCl) have higher PRA levels and more
severe hypertension than animals given potassium bicarbonate (KBC) or
controls; the severity of hypertension was highly correlated with the levels
of PRA; KBC loading produced the lowest PRA; the incidence of stroke was
significantly higher with KCl than with KBC;
3) compared to control animals or animals given potassium bicarbonate,
animals given potassium chloride have a significantly increased rate of
stroke and increased incidence and severity of kidney lesions.  The
incidence of lesions was highly correlated with the levels of PRA, which in
turn paralleled the ingestion of potassium chloride.  Also, compared to
control animals or animals given potassium bicarbonate, animals given
potassium chloride had significantly higher losses of protein in urine.

You could talk to Loren Cordain.  He is very knowledgeable about the havoc
that excess chloride (which you'd get from sodium chloride as well as
potassium chloride) can cause for the body. You could also read Sporek's
book SALT AND THE SEVEN DEADLY ILLS.  He has been an analytical chemist for
50 years, has a PhD from a highly respected university in England, has won
awards for his work in chemistry, and clearly explains the known chemical
properties of sodium and chloride in his book.  Like primitive people who do
not add salt to their food, he is 80 years old and highly coherent, still
working (not demented, retired, or sickly, as many elderly people in America
are!).

Cheers,

Rachel and Don