Suggested Daily Salt Intake

(J) #1

In measurements of a typical teaspoon, what’s the suggested daily salt intake on Keto?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

About two or three U.S. teaspoons, but that includes the sodium chloride already present in food.

This is according to the PURE study, at any rate, which observed that 4-6 g/day of sodium appeared to be the “sweet spot” in the curve, when intake was plotted against health outcomes. And 4-6 grams of sodium works out to 10-15 g of sodium chloride (table salt).

According to my own measurements, a teaspoon of salt weighs 5 g. That’s a ball-park figure, of course, since my instruments were a plastic measuring spoon and a kitchen scale, but it makes a good rule of thumb.

ETA: Come to think of it, the PURE study was done mostly on carb-burners, and it is known that elevated insulin inhibits excretion of sodium by the kidneys. So people on a ketogenic diet may need a bit more sodium than 4-6 g, but I’ve never heard anyone say just how much. If I find myself feeling headachey or constipated, I just make sure to get a bit more; if my stools get mushy, a bit less. It seems to work.

(J) #3

Thanks again, Paul. I appreciate your input(s).

(David Cooke) #4

It will also depend on whether you are exercising, ambient temperature etc.

#5

we are so individual on what it takes in that, yes many fit a normal intake which has been mentioned, but I am a super salter cause I NEED it for me. So be you on this salt intake truly, don’t think ever you have to fit to some norm. Lower in salt intake I go the worse, very fast for me personally.

Now can that change later for me, sure. Right now I now me on salt and key is KNOW YOU on what salt you need. No human is a 1/4 teaspoon of XYZ or a 1/2 tablespoon of ABC or ?? How you feel and more comes into play literally so do you on this one. Salt to taste or drop it some but do it by ‘body signals’ vs. being told thru this ‘amt is normal’ cause it will never be for all and we just need nature on this one to show each of us the way

ok just some chat on how diff. we all are on this :sunny:

#6

Individual. I am around 4g nowadays, maybe 5g as before (it dropped a bit due to me eating less processed stuff but I need to salt my normal food a bit more) and never could go much higher even when I have very salty items as it feels horrible and I get salt aversion and stop adding salt to food if possible. While below I start to desire saltier stuff…
If you works like me, you will feel what is good for you and you can’t go out of your range long term even if you try :smiley:
We obviously need a different amount, some people eat unsalted fresh meat only, others supplement a lot… Salting to taste works for me almost all the time (and I wouldn’t even think about supplementing it until the 3rd/4th day of a fast if I ever did such a thing) but not everyone is like this, to put it lightly.
The body tells us if it lacks sodium, usually, as far as I know. As I am not sure I ever had it, I just can guess that the slight dizziness was that. Some people get cramps at low salt or constipation or something else…? The others surely know it better.

#7

4-5g is around 2-3 teaspoons correct?

My mackerel has 330mg of sea salt per can. If I eat 2 cans that’s 660mg salt, plus 600mg of sea salted olives. That puts me at about 1200mg salt so I should have at least twice that probably?

#8

With the exception of when you’re adapting and flushing, you don’t have to intentionally try to force salt in. Without tons of processed crap, you’re not going to overdo it, nor do you need to force it in unless you have symptoms that you’re having electrolye issues. If I eat “keto levels” of salt I’m a water balloon within 24hrs and using diuretics to get it back off. On Weekends when I hammer my cardio, I up it to compensate, but then there’s a reason for it.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

According to my kitchen scale, a U.S. teaspoon of sodium chloride weighs 5 g. So 4-5 g would be about a single teaspoon.

(Denise) #10

I’ve been having late evening headaches (non migraine), and didn’t consider my salt intake. Also, the “mushy” you mention. After dinner I had one cube of Wyler’s Boullion, and it was about an hour after that I got a headache. I’d gone back on my Vit. E so thought it might have been that. Took it (fat soluble) about the same time.

Process of elimination and adding things back in to figure it out I guess is all a person can do. I’ve heard the labs can be off when looking at sodium/potassium etc. but they must be pretty close I think.

I also just read excess salt can cause dehydration, so drinking enough water could help with headaches and the “mushy”. I do like the idea of getting all I need from my foods, like you suggest. I’m even more careful at what I am buying and need to head for the farmer’s market as well. I can buy meats there as well but they are sky-high in prices :grimacing:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

I don’t know about the labs, but sodium intake, according to the PURE study and others, is healthiest in the 4-6 g/day range. That’s what I’ve been going by. I don’t actually measure my salt intake, but I do find that there is a range that works best for me, and it’s not too hard to listen to my body and stay within that range.

Now, on a carnivore diet things may be different, because a lot of long-term carnivores have found themselves no longer wanting any added salt in their diet. (They never say people should not add salt, just that over time they found themselves no longer wanting to do so.)

So it would appear that the body may be using salt a lot more efficiently on a carnivore diet—and that might also be true of a ketogenic diet over time, as well. Certainly this is Dr. Robert Cywes’s hypothesis, as regards a number of hormones, minerals, and vitamins.

After five years on keto, I find I go through phases of wanting more salt and then not wanting salt, so I try to listen to what my body wants. It seems to work.

One thought, in addition: I found, for a few weeks after recovering from my recent bout with omicron COVID, I was getting migraines that salt seemed to have no effect on. So clearly, not all headaches are caused by lack of salt, even though, for the most part, mine have been up till now.