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I find I consume more salt at times after intensive sport (semi-marathons, swimming). It looks my body naturally requires more salt to restore itself. So the ad

I find I consume more salt at times after intensive sport (semi-marathons, swimming). It looks my body naturally requires more salt to restore itself. So the advice to consume less salt should not be generalized.

FiberBundle 8y ago
How do you know your body naturally requires more salt?
- glastra 8y ago
  Cravings. Also, if you put salt in your mouth and it tastes good, you need sodium. If you can't stand the taste or it tastes "chemical", then you don't need it as much.
  - FiberBundle 8y ago
    It's strongly hypothesised [1] and currently a very active research question that gut microbes are able to send signals to your brain to influence your "cravings". If that should be the case, listening to your cravings wouldn't be what your body naturally requires or what's healthy for your. [1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/gut-bacteria-may-be-controlling-your-appetite-180957389/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/gut-bacteria-m...
    - glastra 8y ago
      There is a mechanism for gut microbes to cause cravings, thus all cravings must be caused by gut microbes. Are you sure that's a logical and valid conclusion?
      - FiberBundle 8y ago
        I didn't say anything that would imply that. However, if gut microbes, who act in their self interest, do cause cravings, then cravings cannot be used to determine what your body needs.
        glastra 8y ago
        There is a significant difference between the following two statements: 1) Cravings cannot be used to determine what your body needs with 100% accuracy because some of them might be caused by gut microbes. 2) Cravings should still be taken into account because most probably only a small percentage will come from cravings. I understood you were referring to the first in your previous comment, so apologies if that was not the case. Either way, the only research that I know of pertaining to this topic is that some yeast (IIRC candida) can trigger carbohydrate cravings. That is something you should probably never listen to, even if they are physiological. Note that I have a strong bias here as I adhere to a no-fiber ketogenic diet.
Viliam1234 8y ago
The question is whether salt (sodium chloride) is exactly what your body needs... or just the best it knows it can get. Perhaps magnesium would be better, but sodium chloride can also do the job at the cost of some side effects. And if salt is all you have tried, then your body will signal that it needs salt, because that's what worked in the past.
- glastra 8y ago
  That is a gross and very, very dangerous oversimplification that flies in the face of everything we know about electrolytes. I highly recommend you perform a search for intracellular and extracellular electrolyte concentrations. I also highly recommend not giving anyone advice that could threaten their health.
feketegy 8y ago
Your body naturally requires electrolytes, because you sweat it out

FiberBundle 8y ago

How do you know your body naturally requires more salt?

glastra 8y ago
Cravings. Also, if you put salt in your mouth and it tastes good, you need sodium. If you can't stand the taste or it tastes "chemical", then you don't need it as much.
- FiberBundle 8y ago
  It's strongly hypothesised [1] and currently a very active research question that gut microbes are able to send signals to your brain to influence your "cravings". If that should be the case, listening to your cravings wouldn't be what your body naturally requires or what's healthy for your. [1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/gut-bacteria-may-be-controlling-your-appetite-180957389/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/gut-bacteria-m...
  - glastra 8y ago
    There is a mechanism for gut microbes to cause cravings, thus all cravings must be caused by gut microbes. Are you sure that's a logical and valid conclusion?
    - FiberBundle 8y ago
      I didn't say anything that would imply that. However, if gut microbes, who act in their self interest, do cause cravings, then cravings cannot be used to determine what your body needs.
      - glastra 8y ago
        There is a significant difference between the following two statements: 1) Cravings cannot be used to determine what your body needs with 100% accuracy because some of them might be caused by gut microbes. 2) Cravings should still be taken into account because most probably only a small percentage will come from cravings. I understood you were referring to the first in your previous comment, so apologies if that was not the case. Either way, the only research that I know of pertaining to this topic is that some yeast (IIRC candida) can trigger carbohydrate cravings. That is something you should probably never listen to, even if they are physiological. Note that I have a strong bias here as I adhere to a no-fiber ketogenic diet.

Viliam1234 8y ago

The question is whether salt (sodium chloride) is exactly what your body needs... or just the best it knows it can get. Perhaps magnesium would be better, but sodium chloride can also do the job at the cost of some side effects. And if salt is all you have tried, then your body will signal that it needs salt, because that's what worked in the past.

glastra 8y ago
That is a gross and very, very dangerous oversimplification that flies in the face of everything we know about electrolytes. I highly recommend you perform a search for intracellular and extracellular electrolyte concentrations. I also highly recommend not giving anyone advice that could threaten their health.

feketegy 8y ago

Your body naturally requires electrolytes, because you sweat it out