Salty diet

Sinhababu SP, Paul A, Sukul NC, Kurzina N, Batuev AS. 1998. Hypothalamic neuronal responses of albino rats on salty diet to high dilution of sodium chloride and phosphorus. In High dilution effects on cells and integrated systems. C Taddei-Ferretti and P Marotta (Eds). World Scientific, Singapore, pp 263-266. 

The antisalt zealots like to point to the famous International Intersalt Study, the most comprehensive effort undertaken in this field thus far. Researchers looked at blood pressure and sodium intake in thirty-two countries. For the most part, the results revealed few links between sodium intake and hypertension in people around the world. That said, however, people in countries that had extremely high salt intake tended to have higher levels of blood pressure, while individuals with very little salt in their diets had lower levels. But these are the extremes. For most people in most countries, there was little association between salt and sodium consumption and blood pressure. And, paradoxically, people in Thailand who traditionally eat very salty diets had relatively low blood pressure levels. 

We calculated the weight percentages of sodium ions in this series of sample solutions in the same way as described in the previous paper (8). By mixing O-aminoacyl sugar with sodium chloride, the weight percentage of sodium ions was reduced to around 10 % of that conventionally used, while the saltiness was maintained at the same level. Sodium ion diet effects of omithyl-p-alanine, glycine ethyl ester hydrochloride and basic amino acids were 75 %, 50 % and 25 %, respectively (8). O-... 

There are a few elements in these two groups that sometimes cause health problems because they are very similar to nearby elements. For instance, a toxic type of strontium can increase the risk of bone cancer and leukemia. Strontium, just one space below calcium in the table, is so similar to calcium that the body is sometimes fooled into absorbing it like calcium in bones and teeth. The similarities between elements can also be useful, as in the case of potassium chloride. People with high blood pressure and certain heart or kidney diseases need less sodium in their diets to stay healthy. Instead of sprinkling regular table salt or sodium chloride on their meals, they may use potassium chloride for a very similar salty taste. 

The current trend of reducing sodium intake in the diet has resulted in the formulation of low-sodium or reduced-sodium foods. It has been shown (Gillette 1985) that sodium chloride enhances mouthfeel, sweetness, balance, and saltiness, and also masks... 

So how can we cut back and still enjoy our foods First of all, understand that we have become habituated to a high-salt diet. After two to three weeks, the urge to salt everything on the plate passes, and after a couple of months you begin to enjoy the natural flavors of foods and you find that the kinds of foods you previously consumed taste overly salty. 

Imagine being stranded on a deserted island that contains a few palm trees and sandy beaches, and is surrounded by an endless expanse of ocean. You can get food from a diet of fish and coconuts, but where will you get fresh water There is plenty of seawater, but you can t survive on such salty water. Is there some way to separate the water from all that salt ... 

Sodium deficiency during long-term endurance exercise may cause dehydration. A sodium content of 300-800 mg in saliva seems to provide an adequate sodium supply during endurance exercise, without impairing the flavor of beverages (Zapf etal. 1999). The importance of taste to individuals on a low-sodium diet has been demonstrated. It is interesting to observe that a low-sodium diet maintained over a long period leads to a shift in preference toward less salty foods (Bertino et al. 1982). 

Cindy found that her altered diet did seem to wake up her taste buds while restoring some of her vigor. She realized that the sweet, salty foods... 

The compounds listed in Table 22.10 are used as salt substitutes. Their blends are marketed as diet salts . Peptide hydrochlorides with a salty taste are discussed in Section 1.3.3. 

The quahty of the salty taste of foods depends on the ratio of sodium cations (Na+) and chloride anions (Cl ). Foods with natural levels of these ions, however, do not always taste salty, because both ions may be not present in the required stoichiometric ratio. The quahty of salty taste of a mixture of salty substances depends on their type and mutual ratio, which is employed to compose the salt substitutes used in various diets. The intensity of the salty taste depends on the concentration of salty substances and the presence of other components in the mixture. The salinity of various salts is an additive property, but some mixtures exhibit synergism, which means that the intensity of a mixture of salty compounds is higher than the sum of salty tastes of its components. The threshold concentrations of the most common salty substances are listed in Table 8.39. 

Mixtures of herbs and lemon juice may be substituted for oily, salty, and/or sugary dressings when certain types of restricted diets must be followed. 

Low salt diet Is a rather misleading term. Since table salt is by far the most important source of sodium in the diet, most sodium-restricted diets begin with the elimination or at least restricted use of table salt on food. Hence, sodium-restricted diets are sometimes called low salt diets. A mild sodium restriction which is used as a maintenance diet in cardiac and renal diseases limits daily sodium intake to 2,000 to 3,000 mg. This means no salty foods and no salt used at the table. Other sodium-restricted diets include moderate sodium restriction (1,000 to 1,500 mg daily), strict sodium restriction (500 mg), and severe sodium restriction (250 mg). All of these diets require limited or no use of salt at all stages of food preparation. The strict and severe sodium restriction necessitates careful selection of foods for all sources of sodium, not just salt. 

The sense organs for taste located in the epiglottis, palate, pharynx, and tongue. Taste buds are excited by chemical substances in the food we eat. We can detect four types of taste (1) salty, (2) sweet, (3) bitter, and (4) sour. Taste sensations from these taste buds help regulate the diet Much of what we usually call taste is actually smell. 

Salty Substances. All three domestic species show a preference for at least one hypotonic (<.15 M) concentration of sodium chloride (Table II). Rats preferences cease at concentrations below Isotonla while guinea pigs extended into mild hypertonia on a second series of exposures (34). Wild cavies preferred, 008-.25 M NaCl to water from the first series onward. That cavies were tested for 4-hr. periods on two consecutive days while rats were given 24- or 48-hr. continuous exposures may account for cavies higher acceptance of more concentrated saline solutions. Wild and laboratory rats responses to salt-treated diets were also similar (48). 

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