Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.
November 2010
Some members of the medical community urge Americans to lower their sodium intake but that's only half the story. There is plenty of evidence that we don't get enough potassium. Like so many other nutrients these two minerals are properly balanced in the diet to which humans became accustomed over thousands of generations. In other words, if we were to eat mostly plant foods, as our Stone Age ancestors did, we would get the right amount of each.
Sodium and potassium are important for a variety of chemical processes within the body, especially the proper functioning of our brain and nervous system. These are known as electrolytes and every athlete is aware of the need of making up for their loss during heavy exercise.
Modern hunter-gatherers, living the Stone Age lifestyle, get about 600 milligrams of sodium and about 3500 milligrams of potassium in their daily diet. The typical American does just the opposite. The six-fold difference in sodium contributes to the burden of high blood pressure and heart disease that are characteristic of modern societies.
About three-quarters of our excessive sodium intake comes from processed foods and restaurant meals. We add about a third more via the salt shaker at home. Just by eliminating the latter 30 percent, especially among persons who are sensitive to excessive sodium intake, the incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke would fall significantly.
The lack of potassium has no direct correlation with disease but it's likely that it contributes to the high blood pressure that is clearly associated with sodium excess in a large segment of the population.
Some cities and even the federal government are exploring the possibility of legislation that would force food manufacturers and restaurateurs to reduce the sodium content of foods. If the lack of potassium is also a factor, this approach would have limited effect.
It's possible for moderate changes in the diet to bring about dramatic benefits. You can lower sodium intake by putting away the salt shaker. Read food labels to identify high-sodium products. Limit fast foods, sauces, gravies and salad dressings, all of which contain lots of sodium. Look for the low-sodium foods that are now being marketed aggressively in the media. Add a couple more servings of vegetables to the daily menu and get in the habit of snacking on fruit, not chips.
Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. is the author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age, Better Life Publishers 2005. Contact him at drphil@stoneagedoc.com.