I hold water like a sponge so I started going low salt due to many advice I saw on this board and heck, what doctors have told me over the years but then recently I've been found to be very dehydrated even though I drink 3-4 liters of water a day. The solution? My new doctor said that if I'm on a low carb diet I need to up my salt! But get this.. I have no number of grams I can have. Does anyone know the limit of salt a low carber should have daily? Thanks.

I was hoping someone had the salt information, Doreen? Nat? Karen?
Thanks

Hi Lessara

I don't think that there is any particular amount of salt you should be having. Firstly, if you do not already, its worth adding a potassium supplement as this mineral, a bit like salt, is washed out of the body with all the fluid we drink. I would suggest, that you either take to putting salt on food, or probably more conveniently dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and drink this. This is then like a rehydration, isotonic, drink that you have when you need to get your electrolytes back in balance. I double that you need to have more than 2 teaspoons full a day.

Oh Shocks! Not long ago I read a book from the library called "Your Body's Many Cries For Water" in which the Dr. who wrote it recommended an amount of salt but, of course, it had nothing to do with L/C but it could help. There is a website you can visit, perhaps the info is there as there are several interesting articles there: www.watercure.com.

For water retention (I tried last week and the next day I was 3 lbs. lighter) take the following supplements 3-4 times a day: vit. C 1000 mg., B-6 50 mg., L-Taurine (an amino acid which also boosts liver function recommended by Dr. Atkins) 500 mg., and Calcium/Magnesium (don't get calc. carbonate, bad!) 500/250 mg.

I found it peculiar that lack of calcium would cause water retention, a problem I've had for a long time, but it made sense because I wasn't taking enough. The reason that happens is b/c when blood calcium levels drop it acts as a stress which causes adrenal glands to release some hormones which cause water retention.

The strange thing about salt is that we would die without it but an excess may be harmfull.

Exactly how harmfull is a continuing debate. Salt was a scarce commodity, an essential commodity for preservation. Your salt money was your "salary"

Guidelines suggest no more than six grams of salt (2400 milligrams of sodium). The average consumption is thought to be about 10 grams. Processed foods that we buy will have salt. Most butter is salted. Restaurants and in our own kitchens we cook vegetables with salt in the water for taste. It is virtually impossible to know oneself how much salt you are consuming.

The link between salt and high blood pressure has not been proved to the satisfaction of many.

The following scientific paper concludes that it ....the jury is still out The science of salt

Salt is sodium.This is what table salt is. It is not potassium. The best advice is do not worry about salt that is already in food or the salt that you cook with. Just do not add extra salt . Leave the salt cruet off the table. Do not shake salt over your food. Do not put it in your boiled eggs. (you can put it in the egg water because it lowers the boiling point)

I season food with salt and pepper and my favorite salt to use is crystal sea salt which I grind as I need it. I am also pleased to have a salt and pepper beard.

Mrs R thinks I am the salt of the earth

And since you sound so nice (and humorous) Mrs. R. is probably right!

I was getting worried because I do eat lunch meat and even though they look like just slices of turkey or ham, they have lots of salt. But when I added everything up I'm just slightly too high so I'm cutting down the processed meat and upping my water a liter to see how that works. Thanks, Rustpot!!