Overreact to Sodium Scare : Some People Getting Too Little Salt--Nutritionist

Many people concerned about their health are consuming too little salt because the adverse effects of sodium have been so widely publicized, a nutritionist says.

A statistical sample of the dietary habits of 20,000 people involved in the University of Maryland’s Cooperative Extension Service showed about 81% had a low daily intake of sodium--1.1 grams or less, Dr. Tamara Vega said.

About 14% of those involved in the “dietary recall” survey said they consumed between 1.1 and 3.3 grams of salt daily, a level that Vega termed “safe and good” for most people. Another 4% exceeded 3.3 grams of salt per day, which is considered high.

May Not Be Typical

Vega acknowledged her sample “may not be typical for the general public” because people involved in cooperative extension clubs are generally “very health-conscious.”

“But I still think some people are taking cutting down salt to the extreme,” said Vega, who estimated that sodium-sensitive people comprise only about a third of the 20% of the U.S. population considered likely to suffer from high blood pressure.

The doctor cites an example of a young, sports-oriented woman who suffered fainting spells last summer for which her doctor could not find a cause. It turned out that the woman had drastically cut back on sodium and was drinking up to 72 ounces of potassium-rich orange juice a day.

“That woman was potentially intoxicating herself on potassium,” said Vega, noting that sodium, calcium and potassium form a “nutritional cogwheel system” in the body.

The doctor said potassium, which sodium helps to eliminate, can be life-threatening if a person’s kidneys are not functioning properly.

Vega also said she had warned a 74-year-old woman, who did volunteer work with her agency, to lift the severe restrictions she had imposed on her sodium intake. The elderly woman did not listen, Vega said, and ended up receiving a sodium mixture intravenously after a severe fainting spell which her doctor attributed to a salt deficiency.

In addition to the elderly and physically active, Vega expressed concern about the strict limits on salt consumption some health-conscious mothers place on children.

“If children are active in the summertime, they sweat and if they have not received enough salt, you’ll find them complaining of nausea and feeling dizzy,” she said.

The doctor said most people can get the proper amount of sodium without salt tablets or going heavy with the salt shaker, noting that many vegetables are natural sources of sodium and nearly all processed foods are laden with salt.

The doctor cautioned people not to eliminate or emphasize any food group, including items with salt, without first consulting a physician.

Heart Assn. Fear

Harry Bosk, a spokesman for the Maryland chapter of the American Heart Assn., expressed fear that some people who may benefit from low-sodium diets may think Vega’s warning about too little salt applies to them.

Bosk said people should be tested for high blood pressure before they decide to consume salt in the moderate to high range.

“The American Heart Assn. recommends that healthy adult Americans should greatly reduce sodium intake to one gram per 1,000 calories, not to exceed 3 grams per day,” Bosk said in a prepared statement.