Sally Fallon Morell on Why We Need More Salt, Not Less

The Essential Role of Salt

• 💡 Salt is essential for life, playing a critical role in digestion by enabling the creation of enzymes for carbohydrates and hydrochloric acid for meats.
• 🧠 The creator included a salt taste to signal its necessity for proper digestion and nutrient absorption.
• 🔑 Salt is also important for the repair of glial cells in the brain and for the proper function of the adrenal cortex.

Historical Salt Consumption vs. Modern Recommendations

• 📈 Historically, humans consumed significantly more salt, around three teaspoons per day, which was necessary before refrigeration.
• 📉 Current consumption has decreased to about 1.5 teaspoons, which may satisfy basic needs, but less than that can be problematic.
• ⚠️ Government recommendations to cut salt intake to 3/4 teaspoon per day are concerning, especially with the use of SimX, an artificial salt additive found in processed foods.
• ❓ The long-term effects of SimX on organs like the hypothalamus are unknown, and it is often mislabeled as 'artificial flavors'.

Determining Safe Salt Intake

• ✅ Salting food to taste is a safe and effective way to ensure adequate intake, as the body signals when it has had enough.
• 🚫 Overconsumption of salt is usually self-limiting, as excessively salty food simply doesn't taste good.

Recommended Salt Types and Iodine

• ❌ Table salt, iodized salt, and refined salt are not recommended.
• ✨ Instead, opt for natural salts that contain all minerals, especially trace minerals from the ocean, as recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation.
• 🧈 While some people are sensitive to added iodine in salt, iodine can be obtained from foods like butter (especially from cows near the ocean), asparagus, and seafood.