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Author: Stewart Hare Article source: http://waltonfeed.com/. Used with author's permission.
The main positively charged electrolyte that is found in the extracellular fluids which baths all the body cells is sodium. A pump in the cell membrane maintains high levels of sodium inside the cells to offset that in the extracellular fluid. Sodium chloride (salt) is found in table salt, salted crisps, bacon, salted nuts, tinned products especially ones that contain brine, meat pastes, pates, ready-prepared foods, sauces and packet soups, stock cubes, yeast extracts and cured, smoked and pickled fish and meat.
Potassium is the main positively charged ion found inside cells. The ion-exchange pumps found in cell walls actively pump potassium inside cells and sodium ions are pumped out to make room for it. Potassium is found seafood, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
The sodium/potassium balance is one way in which the body regulates the pH in the body. When the body is too acidic the kidneys excrete potassium and when the body is too basic the kidneys excrete sodium. If you have a more acidic environment in your kidneys then the chances of kidney stones developing is reduced. When the urine is too basic, phosphorus and calcium bind together to form stones in the kidneys. Consuming potassium will make urine more acidic thus stopping the formation of kidney stones.
Sodium and potassium help to regulate the blood pressure. Cells will be deficient of potassium if potassium is not consumed within the diet. An average western diet is high in sodium so it is very likely that westerner have a high amount of sodium on the outside of the cells within their bodies. The high amount of sodium causes extra work for the cellular pump to keep the sodium outside the cell membrane. The increases of sodium within the cells increase the amount of water within the cells. The water is taken from the surrounding fluids and blood which causes a decrease in blood pressure. To keep blood pressure to a healthy level, it is wise to consume potassium.
Potassium has far reaching affects on cell membrane functions without it the brain could not send messages to other parts of the body and individual cells would starve to death. Natural foods are very high in potassium but processed and refined foods are very bad effects on potassium. The refining process kills potassium, refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar increases the excretion of potassium and refined food increases the need for potassium because they containing high levels of sodium in the form of salt which upsets the sodium/potassium balance. Bananas, dried fruit, potatoes, avocados, milk, whole grain, broccoli and legumes are all high in potassium.
To enable each sodium/potassium pumps in cells to work properly it is vital that the body's sodium/potassium balance is correct. The body is designed for a diet high in potassium and low in sodium. Our ancestors rarely consumed salt (sodium chloride the source of sodium) and it was important to them to eat a lot of salt when they found it to balance the large amounts of potassium that was in their food, this is why our bodies are equipped with a salt hunger. Today in modern society this salt hunger goes against us because salt is readily available and our bodies not only want a lot of sodium but are rigged to store it. Our adrenal glands are stimulated to release aldosterone when we eat large amounts of potassium. Aldosterone is a hormone that tells the kidneys to save sodium and excrete potassium. This mechanism kept our ancestors alive but in modern society with its abundance of salt, it is now causes all kinds of health problems.
High blood pressure is caused when there is a lot of salt in the blood. High blood pressure means that the blood in the body is pushing on the vein wall. This pressure on the vein wall causes the heart not to pump as hard. The kidneys react to the drop in blood coming through them by releasing aldosterone and rennin. Rennin constricts the blood vessels and aldosterone tells the kidneys to save sodium and excrete potassium. When sodium is drawn back into the body it brings with it water and urea, urea is toxic.
The kidneys work very hard to keep the sodium/potassium balance correct, they filter 541 pints of blood a day and are designed to deal with little disturbance in the sodium/potassium balance. It is an enormous disturbance when the body is overloaded with sodium and it is very hard for the kidneys to get the sodium/potassium balance correct. The kidneys do not function as well and it can even lead to the kidneys to stop working all together. Salt is not totally all bad, in fact without a certain amount of sodium the body would die. Sodium is in all of the bodies fluids. This is why there is a salty taste to blood, tears, sweat and urine. Sodium and chloride aid in the transport of nutrients between cells. To stop calcium from collecting on the artery walls, sodium disperses it evenly through the blood. Hydrochloric acid is needed by the body to digest food; salt is needed to produce hydrochloric acid. The body can become salt deficient, but this is extremely difficult to happen. Sunken eyes, wrinkles, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea, confusion, irritability, low blood pressure and problems with breathing are all symptoms of salt deficiency. The body needs 300 - 500mg of sodium a day; the average westerner gets 10,000-12,000mg a day.
In conclusion, the sodium/potassium balance is a delicate one that the kidneys are constantly monitoring. A typical western diet is high in salt and it is mainly salt that upsets the sodium/potassium balance which leads to kidney problems and high blood pressure. For the body to remain in a healthy condition it is best to cut down on processed foods that are high in salt and to eliminate the practice of adding table salt to meals, it would also be wise to eat more natural whole foods that are high in potassium. Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh
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