SODIUM
Sodium is necessary for maintaining proper water balance in the body. Water follows salt so if your kidneys are excreting too much sodium, the water will follow and you will begin to experience dehydration issues. The sodium-potassium balance in the body is an important one as well. A deficiency of potassium in the blood causes your heart to beat feebly and abnormal heart rhythms appear. Sodium is necessary for maintaining proper blood pH which is no small task given the slim margin for error – the body must maintain blood pH between 7.35 and 7.45. Sodium is also necessary for proper stomach, nerve and muscle functioning. Taking diuretics can cause a sodium deficiency in the body, as with people who take them for high blood pressure. Couple this with a low-sodium diet and you have the makings of a sodium deficiency in the body. If you have to follow a low-sodium diet, natural sea salt is your best option.
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DEFICIENCIES
Virtaully all foods contain salt so deficiencies are rare.
Symptoms of a deficiency can include abdominal cramps,
anorexia, confusion, dehydration, depression, dizziness, fatigue, flatulence, hallucinations, headaches, heart palpitations, impaired sense of taste, lethargy, low blood pressure, memory impairment, muscular weakness, nausea, vomiting, poor coordination, recurrent infections and weight loss.
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