Q: My blood pressure is under control with Lisinopril (10 mg), Resperate, and various herbs and teas. But I run a lot and salt is one of the electrolytes I lose in a big way through sweating. Is eliminating salt completely dangerous for long distance running, or does it matter that I sweat it out anyway? I am a female.
A: Both salt and water are lost through sweating. To maintain normal fluid balance in the body, both the salt and water losses need to be replaced. Just drinking water during a long run will further increase the risk of low salt levels in the body because the water will dilute the salt that is left in the body. Low salt levels, known as hyponatremia, can be very dangerous. Symptoms can progress from muscle cramping to seizures and death.
Recently there has been a lot of controversy over the recommended restrictions on salt intake. Not everyone with high blood pressure is salt sensitive. To read a balanced article about this controversy go to this article at About.com on Heart Disease.
(40 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)
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You can easily monitor your salt by testing your sweat – just run a finger over your forehead and touch it with your tongue. If if taste watery you are low on salt.
How accurate could that be????
Thanks for the salt free answer.I mean wishy washy.
This answer is complete horse $@%*!!
Sodium and sodium chloride are two very different things.
Also, sea salt is the way to go, not regular table salt.
All the best!!
Sodium is a highly reactive metal that reacts with water to form lye. Table salt is pure sodium chloride with usually a small amount of potassium iodide added (iodized salt). Sea salt is my choise of salt.
Low sodium and/or potassium is very dangerous. My 80-year-old mother was in and out of the hospital all last summer because she had hyponatremia and hypokalemia due to aggressive hypertension therapy. My sisters and I found her a new doctor, who adjusted her meds, and now she’s fine.
Your mother is lucky to have you looking after her best interest.
The idea of government restrictions of salt (salt police) is offensive to me. One physician a number of years ago, who wrote mainly about life longevity in a small area in Tibet, whose soil was rich in rare earth elements, wrote also that in cases of heat related deaths, the victims were on a diet that was highly restrictive of salt. The body needs sodium to regulate its temperature. Additionally, I beleive that anyone young enough to run has no need of blood pressure medicine.
Dr. Fogoros’s article re salt intake was very thoughtful and helpful. I personally feel it is right on target.
However, his mention of the result of the Women’s Health Initiative, Hormone Replacement Study, was very misinformed. The latest data from the WHI Estrogen alone study showed: 1) 23% reduction in risk for breast cancer on estrogen alone. 2) 40 -50% lower risk for coronary events and a 27% lower risk for all-cause mortality on estrogen alone for women in their 50’s.
In terms of absolute risk, for every 10,000 women per year using estrogen alone, women in their 50’s had 12 fewer heart attacks and 13 fewer deaths with estrogen therapy compared with placebo. Estrogen should be started within a five year or less period after menopause before the estrogen receptors deteriorate on the female organs. Reported in JAMA from the WHI on the estrogen alone trial. The estrogen-progesterone trial revised results being held up by the Study Author. This all occurred when scientists, around the World, working with female animals who benefited greatly from estrogen – found the results of the WHI re heart disease preposterous – and said so.
I cannot eat my lunch or dinner without “Fish sauce” patis on my table. Is this dangerous, I am hypertensive. But I drink water above average, 8-9 glasses a day.