Sodium and Ketosis, natural state question

#1

I keep reading that ketosis is a natural state that people was in during the winter back in the days around paleo times for instance. But where did they get salt/sodium if they lived far from the ocean? They must have been feeling like crap all winter with keto flu… other minerals may have been available inland, but I keep reading how important sodium is and that it’ll cure everything keto flu related. Any thoughts?

#2

Salt was of crucial importance economically. The expression “not worth his salt” stems from the practice of trading slaves for salt in ancient Greece. Special salt rations given to early Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum,” the forerunner of the English word “salary.”

(John) #3

To go along with the above, most of North America was covered in an ancient inland ocean, there are still many springs and wells that are very salty that were used by humans and animals. Down in the south there are pools so salty you can get something like pound per gallon and this salt has been used for curing meats and the like for hundreds if not thousands of years or more. This curing both helped save the meat but also brought a lot to the diet throughout the winter as well.
I am certainly no expert but saw some shows on this a few years ago.

(Duncan Kerridge) #4

Herbivores are good at collecting the salt from the ground in the plants that they eat. Carnivores are good at collecting the salt inside the herbivores. Humans are good at collecting the salt in plants and animals. And of course we didn’t use to waste the blood and bones, which is where most of the salts are to be found.

(Frank) #5

Blood

(Central Florida Bob ) #6

In addition to the salty springs and water that @jmbundy mentions, there are above ground deposits called “salt licks” that animals learn the location of, and will go there to, well, lick the rocks to get salt. Hunters know to watch for animals there, and I’m sure ancient hunters used salt licks to help find their food for them.

#7

I guess Salt Lake City is a good example :slight_smile:

#8

I’m from the northern part of Europe and it’s mostly covered in snow in the winter. So eating blood and bone marrow from prey would provide enough sodium?

(Duncan Kerridge) #9

Looking at this article on the Maasai it would appear so:

The traditional Maasai diet consists of six basic foods: meat, blood, milk, fat, honey, and tree bark. Wild game (except the eland), chicken, fish, and salt are forbidden. Allowable meats include roasted and boiled beef, goat, and mutton. Both fresh and curdled milk are drunk, and animal blood is drunk at special times—after giving birth, after circumcision and excision, or while recovering from an accident. It may be tapped warm from the throat of a cow, or drunk in coagulated form. It can also be mixed with fresh or soured milk, or drunk with therapeutic bark soups (motori). It is from blood that the Maasai obtain salt, a necessary ingredient in the human diet. People of delicate health and babies eat liquid sheep’s fat to gain strength.

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Maasai.html#ixzz5OHERtvyM

#10

And maybe licked the rocks too when they had keto flu :slight_smile:

#11

Blood and organ meat.

(GARY SORENSON) #12

I’ve wondered the same thing. I believe our biggest problem with electrolytes and Keto is the coffee and tea we all drink. Are there any caffeine free folks out there that can say they don’t need to supplement electrolytes while on Keto?

(Bunny) #13

  1. Eating Organ Meats!

  2. Eating Plants!

  3. Eating Dirt! (Yes they ate dirt!)

  4. “Paleo Cave” peeps were not eating individualized (nutritionally unbalanced) man made processed substances (non-micron particulate) e.g. pills <== aha ha ha! :rofl:

  5. Ground (top) soil had more rare trace elements and minerals (the ground we grow our agriculture on world-wide was once a marine sea bed in ancient times and are now depleted of the rare trace elements and minerals because it now lacks the original soil composition of the elements and minerals embedded in the sea salt!)

That is the reason for the modernized supplementation!

I myself have no need whatsoever to supplement because I get all my nutrients in proper natural ratios!

I put these ingredients in keto fat bombs or in leafy green kale shakes: like various Veggies, Chia Seeds, Wheatgrass powder, Non-fortified Nutritional Yeast, Flaxseeds etc. all freshly ground and organic, non-GMO.

Pills are for amateurs… lol

(John) #14

Sounds like it, and I know Europeans tended to like all kinds of recipes with blood so this makes sense.

(Bunny) #15
#16

Yes! We still eat “blood pudding” that’s made from pigs blood in Sweden. But other traditional dishes like soup and bread with blood in it are not as popular anymore.