{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1","title":"Stephen Ajulu","home_page_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/","feed_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/tags/metabolism/feed.json","description":"Hello, I'm Stephen Ajulu, a seasoned multidisciplinary tech professional with over a decade of experience. I build impactful solutions using design, tech, and engineering in the pursuit of impact.","icon":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg","authors":[{"name":"Stephen Ajulu","url":"https://stephenajulu.com","avatar":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-why-salt-is-actually-good-for-you-benefits-and-recommended-daily-consumption/","url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-why-salt-is-actually-good-for-you-benefits-and-recommended-daily-consumption/","title":"Here''''''''s Why Salt is Actually Good For You: Benefits and Recommended Daily","summary":" Salt aids blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity. A low-salt diet increases insulin resistance and even moderate dietary salt restriction is shown to cause systemic insulin resistance (study #1 and #2).\nSalt is a natural antihistamine. A pinch of salt sprinkled on the tongue may help improve an allergic reaction or an asthma attack (source).\nYour body needs salt to maintain the proper stomach pH. Stomach acid is hydro_chloric_ acid and salt is sodium chloride. Proper stomach acid levels are absolutely foundational for good digestion, but 90% of Americans have low stomach acid.\n","content_html":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalt aids blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity\u003c/strong\u003e. A low-salt diet \u003cstrong\u003eincreases insulin resistance\u003c/strong\u003e and even moderate dietary salt restriction is shown to cause systemic insulin resistance (study \u003ca href=\"http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(10)00329-X/abstract\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e#1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10371376\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e#2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalt is a natural antihistamine\u003c/strong\u003e. A pinch of salt sprinkled on the tongue may help improve an allergic reaction or an asthma attack (\u003ca href=\"http://amzn.to/163MtZS\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003esource\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYour body needs salt to maintain the proper stomach pH\u003c/strong\u003e. Stomach acid is hydro_chloric_ acid and salt is sodium \u003cem\u003echloride\u003c/em\u003e. Proper stomach acid levels are absolutely foundational for good digestion, but 90% of Americans have low stomach acid.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalt lowers adrenaline spikes\u003c/strong\u003e. Adrenaline is a necessary and important stress hormone, but it is just that… a stress hormone. When adrenaline patterns are out of rhythm, it takes a toll on the body (\u003ca href=\"http://empoweredsustenance.com/eatforheat\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003esource\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ealt improves sleep quality\u003c/strong\u003e. It boasts anti-stress and anti-excitatory qualities due to its suppression of stress hormones and its increasing metabolic rate. This may explain why many people report that a low sodium diet interferes with sleep and an adequate amount of dietary salt improves sleep quality.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, if you often wake up with your heart pounding between 2 and 4 AM, it is probably because of an adrenaline spike. The most important change is to reduce both physical and mental stress, as well as eat a healthy diet. But one immediate fix to help you go back to sleep is just a pinch of salt and sugar (or salt and honey, if you prefer) sprinkled on the tongue to calm the adrenaline peak (read more about it in \u003ca href=\"http://empoweredsustenance.com/eatforheat\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ethis book!)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdequate salt consumption encourages a healthy weight and fast metabolism\u003c/strong\u003e. First, \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12970284\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eone study\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e showed that \u003cstrong\u003eincreased salt intake leads to an increase in the elimination of cortisol and lower blood cortisol levels.\u003c/strong\u003e Imbalanced or excess cortisol means weight gain and a stagnant metabolism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalt supports thyroid function\u003c/strong\u003e by reducing circulating stress hormones. For example, cortisol is anti-thyroid, but salt combats excess cortisol.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSalt supports the hyperosmolarity of the extracellular fluid\u003c/strong\u003e. Slight hyperosmolarity–more solutes in the extracellular fluid than in the cell–actually increases the cell’s metabolic rate (\u003ca href=\"http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/salt.shtml\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003esource\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e). That means salt can speed up \u003cem\u003eyour\u003c/em\u003e metabolism! On the other hand, when the extracellular fluid is hypo-osmotic in relation to the cell, it impairs the breakdown of proteins and glucose and thereby lowers the cell’s metabolism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncreased sodium intake also correlates with increased thermogenesis\u003c/strong\u003e–heat production by the body (the study is \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6086543\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehere\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdequate salt supports balanced hormones\u003c/strong\u003e. Hormone and nutrition researcher \u003ca href=\"http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/salt.shtml\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRay Peat\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e explains the correlation between the salt-regulating hormone aldosterone and mineral loss:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePromotes good vascular health.\u003c/strong\u003e When it comes to salt, it actually has \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5328355/\"\u003eprotective effects against heart disease\u003c/a\u003e. The findings on how salt helps heart disease markers \u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/\"\u003edirectly contradict the years of recommendations\u003c/a\u003e against salt in diets – it’s just important which type of salt you’re using.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"how-much-salt-should-i-eat\"\u003eHow much salt should I eat?\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood should be salted freely and to taste\u003c/strong\u003e. When the metabolism is slow and the thyroid is not optimally functioning, it may be beneficial to consume extra salt whenever possible. This could include salting all beverages and using liberal salt when cooking and baking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you have kidney disease or hypertension, it is a good idea to consult with a medical practitioner before increasing salt intake.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost importantly, \u003cstrong\u003elisten to your body\u003c/strong\u003e. Let your salt craving and desire for seasoning dictate how much salt to consume.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@makstron?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eMaksym Sirman\u003c/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/salt?utm_source=unsplash\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\"\u003eUnsplash\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n","date_published":"2022-06-06T15:54:00+03:00","image":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/maksym-sirman-mutyusmedss-unsplash.jpg","tags":["health","salt","sodium chloride","insulin sensitivity","thyroid function","metabolism","lifestyle"]}]}