SALT

Salt is a primary cause of hypertension because it causes fluid retention, which adds additional stress to the heart and circulatory system.  Increasing the potassium, calcium, and vitamin D intake will cause the body to excrete more sodium.

As a general rule, the elements of the mineral kingdom are held together tightly by ionic bonding while bonding of the vegetable kingdom is covalent - loosely held.  The difference between the mineral kingdom and vegetable kingdom for our purposes is the type of bonding - one very strong and rigid, the other weak and loose.  The human body is capable of breaking loose bonds.  The air we breathe, the water we drink and all of the substances the body uses effectively are covalently bonded - but the body is unable to break the rigid ionic bonds of the mineral kingdom. 

For example, the bond between the sodium and chloride of table salt (NaCI) is so strong that few other substances have as great attraction for either of the element’s ions as they ave for each other; consequently, no replacement occurs.  Both sodium and chloride are extremely active elements - they have an attraction for each other even after complete disassociation in water.  This strong attraction prevents  the body from using the sodium.

Patients should be cautioned not to confuse sodium with sodium choloride.  In recent years medical authorities have emphasized the importance of restricting salt intake.  Inorgadium - sodium chloride - should be avoided; however, organic sodium as found in fruits and vegetables may be the most vital element in normal physiology.

Yet, analysis of blood will reveal the presence of inorganic minerals such as sodium chloride.  Since salt is also found in the urine, it could be assumed that salt is being lost and that more should be consumed for replacement.  However, the body is not capable of breaking the strong ionic bonds that hold the sodium and chloride together.  Again we have a condition that appears to be normal but is, in reality, necessary if the individual has eaten so much salt that the blood is the only place the body can store it.  Sodium chloride has a major effect on the osmotic balance of the cells but this sodium cannot be used in the buffering process.

It takes a long time for the body to rid itself of stored salt even after table salt has been eliminated from the diet. 

Next: Margerine vs Butter