Eight or 9 months ago Don Wiss challenged my posts about the value of sun
dried, so-called "mineral-rich" sea salt, saying, "salt is not paleo."
(Thanks for speaking up, Don!!!)  I resisted the idea, very attached to my
sea salt.  I was also exchanging e-mails with Loren Cordain, who made it
clear that he considered salt a POISON, which I thought was a bit strong at
the time!   He explained that it is not just the sodium by also the chloride
portion of salt that is so deadly, creating an acid load. (Btw:  Potassium
chloride salt replacers are not a good idea).

From there I read a couple of magazine articles by the authors of  "The Salt
Solution," Boynton and Moore (2001, Avery publishing), then the book (just
mentioned) and an article on a ward study linking salt consumption to
insomnia; the gist of the latter was that salt was an irritant to the
central nervous system.

My husband and I began greatly curtailing use of salt in our home, most of
which was added by us in food preparation, since 99% of our meals are
prepared at home.  I analyzed a couple of typical day's of food consumption
for sodium and potassium to see what my ratio was, using 1/2 teaspoon sea
salt in preparation of what I ate for the day, and with no salt added salt.
I was surprised at how much sodium I got from meats, eggs, and vegetables,
even if I added no salt whatsoever in preparation, and no seaweed.  "The
Salt Solution" gave the idea that you could still use salt as long as you
consumed enough potassium to have a 4:1 or better ratio of potassium to
sodium, which I had, due to my very generous produce consumption.

It can be a challenge to cut your salt consumption, even if you already
enjoy whole foods. Salt is a stimulant.  Btw:  Most vegetarian, vegan,
macrobioti, so called "health food" diets, and many low-carb diets are
amazingly and dangerously high in sodium.  Paleo diets that contain sausage,
bacon, prepared, smoked, or canned meat and fish can be high in sodium as
well.  It can take a long time for the desire for salt to leave the body and
for the body to eliminate sodium and chloride.  It is worth going through
the transition and withdrawl process from this is highly addictive
culturally endorsed substance, which is rarely suspected as contributing to
our modern diseases.

Just last week someone gave my husband a review copy of a new book on salt
that is utterly fascinating and cuts through so many salt myths perpetuated
by the media, health professionals, doctors, etc.  It goes farther than "The
Salt Solution" and confirms Cordain's view that both the sodium and chloride
ions are poisons.  The chloride portion may be even more detrimental.  The
book covers so many disorders, including thyroid problems, which some on
this list have expressed concern about.

The title: SALT AND THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS by Karel Sporek
the link: http://www.1stbooks.com/

1st Books Library, 1-888-280-7715  or <www.1stbooks.com>

I urge you to get a copy. I think you will really have a hard time putting
this book down.  For those who like to understand the chemical makeup of
things and how various foods interact with our bodies, AND especially for
those who use salt and products that contaiun it, thinking it harmless on a
paleo diet, you must read this book.  For those without a chemistry
background, the author walks you through the unfamiliar teritory so don't
let the technical info scare you.

The cover is unpleasant (a poor choice from a marketing standpoint, I
think), but I think many of you will find that the author's presentation
makes sense (even if you don't agree 100% with everything he says about
diet).  Some of the material I'd heard before, most things, however, are so
refreshingly new and make so much sense from a biological perspective.

Although I had known how hazardous chlorine (dissolved chloride) was/is, I
did not think the chloride in salt was related to chlorine in its effects on
living organisms, until I began reading this book.   The chloride portion of
salt (chlorine) makes up 60% of salt.  Chlorine is a deadly poison, in
public drinking water reacts with organic materials in the water to create
more toxic compounds (such as trihalomethanes, which have been in the news a
lot), which I knew.  I have not read the entire book yet, but from what I've
read it is amazing.  My husband has read the entire book and is very
impressed.

fascinating reading,

Rachel