Sodium on Keto

(Sarah Wells) #1

If I add Sea Salt to my Water,will that hurt me.It’s the only way I can seem to get enough Sodium in my body so that I don’t have Diarrhea??

(Joey) #2

It would be hard to hurt yourself by adding salt to your water, assuming it tastes reasonably satisfying. Let your taste buds be your guide.

Drinking ocean water while stranded on a life raft would not be a good idea. We’re not talking about that degree of salinity, of course.

But diarrhea sounds a bit puzzling … most folks on keto experience the opposite problem (constipation). What else are you consuming that might be contributing to loose vs hard stools. In particular, are you supplementing with (too much) magnesium? That might be playing a role.

“Salt to taste” is the safest guide to follow. Your tastes will likely change along the way, so stay sensitive to your cravings and satiety signals.

(Robin) #3

Magnesium citrate can cause diarrhea, if you take too much. It can help with regularity and even sleep if you find the right dosage. Just one possibility.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

I’m with Joey, here, as I, too, get constipated from too little sodium. Too much doesn’t cause me diarrhoea, exactly, but the stools are definitely heading in that direction.

Data show that we generally need in the neighbourhood of 4-6 grams of sodium a day, or 10-15 g of table salt (sodium chloride). This amount, of course, includes the salt already present in food, as well as what we add to our diet.

I find that the symptoms of low sodium are constipation, headaches (migraines, in my case), and dizziness/lightheadedness. The symptoms of too much sodium are loose, soft stools, frequent bowel movements, and a foul taste to salt. (Ordinarily, I quite like the taste.)

As long as your total salt consumption of salt falls within the healthy range, there is no reason not to get some of your salt intake in water. But be careful not to over-hydrate; that’s just as bad as being dehydrated. It is sufficient to drink to thirst. (Personally, I find thirst fairly easy to ignore, and sometimes I think I’m hungry, when actually what I need is some liquid.)

If you are supplementing with magnesium and potassium, try cutting back a bit. That might help. If it doesn’t, you can go back to the previous level of supplementation.

Sluggish Brain- not sharp
(Allie) #5

Plenty of us do it, I add a squirt of lemon juice too.