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Salt - really so harmful?
Salt was once known as "white gold". People even used it as currency. Even today, salt is an essential part of our kitchens. But is it really as harmful as often claimed? In our new blog post, you'll learn everything you need to know about salt and how it affects blood pressure and athletic performance.
Table of Contents
- What exactly is salt?
- Salt in food production
- How much salt is healthy?
- Does salt promote high blood pressure?
- Salt intake and sports
What exactly is salt?
Table salt consists of sodium chloride (NaCl). In the body, this compound dissolves into sodium and chloride. 1 g of sodium chloride contains 0.4 g sodium and 0.6 g chloride. Sodium is primarily responsible for fluid balance and signal transmission in muscle and nerve cells. Salt also contributes to digestive fluids. Chloride, along with sodium, helps regulate the osmotic balance between the inside and outside of cells. Both minerals are therefore essential for life. However, the amount matters!
Salt can be obtained from various sources. The majority of global salt production comes from rock salt, with the rest from sea salt and so-called evaporated salt. Salt is thus harvested from underground deposits, the sea, or natural brine springs. Nutritionally, there are no significant differences between the types of salt, as most of them consist of about 98% sodium chloride. However, the remaining 2% and the salt’s origin can affect taste. In Germany, table salt is often fortified with iodine, fluoride, or folic acid. Since many people in Germany are not sufficiently supplied with iodine, it makes sense to use iodized salt.
Salt in food production
Salt is a key ingredient in food production. It not only adds flavor but also enhances shelf life. Since salt binds water, it deprives microorganisms of their habitat and acts as a preservative in certain quantities. Salt also improves product texture. It’s indispensable in the production of meat and sausage products, cheese, and bread. That’s why animal-based foods tend to contain more salt. When it comes to bread, make sure no more than 1 g of salt is added per 100 g. This shows that the salt shaker isn’t the main problem – it’s processed foods and fast food. Around 80% of daily salt intake comes from processed products. For example, one frozen pepperoni pizza already contains the recommended daily amount of 6 g of salt. Other European countries have initiatives to reduce salt consumption; Germany is also aiming to significantly lower salt content in processed foods.
Salt is also said to enhance sweetness, which is why a pinch is often added to sweet dishes or cakes. While the mechanism behind this isn’t fully understood, the combination of sweet and salty is especially appealing to our taste buds. It may even trigger more dopamine – the “feel-good” neurotransmitter – in the brain. That’s why treats like sea salt chocolate or caramel popcorn are so popular. Our delicious Caramel Salted Pretzel Protein Powder is a real flavor explosion and comes completely sugar-free!
How much salt is healthy?
The human body probably only needs about 1.4 g of salt daily to function properly. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a salt intake of 6 g/day, while the WHO recommends just 5 g. A study by the Robert Koch Institute found that in Germany, 75% of men and nearly 70% of women consume more than the DGE-recommended 6 g of salt per day – with men averaging 10 g and women 8.4 g. Various studies show that too much salt may increase the risk of conditions like high blood pressure.
Did you know? Based on body weight, salt is more toxic than alcohol. While 4–6 g of alcohol per kg of body weight can be lethal, just 1–2 g of table salt per kg can be deadly.
Does salt promote high blood pressure?
In Germany, high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is widespread. Around 30 million people are affected, with a high number of unreported cases. Blood pressure is considered high at 140/90 mm Hg, while normal is around 120/80 mm Hg. Chronic hypertension can damage blood vessels and lead to stroke and heart attack.
Whether salt directly causes high blood pressure isn’t fully proven. The condition develops from various factors like genetics, lack of exercise, poor diet, obesity, and stress. However, it’s known that excessive salt intake can contribute to hypertension. Studies show that consuming more than 5 g/day of salt is linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke. People with hypertension are especially sensitive to salt. Reducing dietary salt can lower blood pressure.
But not everyone reacts the same to salt. Some people are salt-sensitive and cannot excrete excess salt effectively, causing blood pressure to rise. About one-third of people are salt-sensitive. Roughly 50% of people with high blood pressure are in this category and benefit from reducing salt intake.
That said, extremely low-salt diets can also be harmful, especially for hypertension patients. A study from the University of Glasgow with over 130,000 participants showed that those who consumed less than 3 g or more than 7 g of salt per day had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Very low salt intake may also increase stress hormone levels.
Salt intake and sports
During exercise, the body loses a significant amount of salt through sweat — nearly 4 g in just one hour of intense workout, which equals about 1,500 mg of sodium (the recommended daily intake for an adult). Adequate sodium intake before and after exercise is essential and can delay fatigue during workouts. Since other minerals are also lost through sweat, we recommend our Sport Essentials.
For endurance athletes in particular, salt intake is just as important as fluid intake. Without sodium, the body can't transport water into cells, leading to what's known as water intoxication. This can cause a drastic drop in blood salt levels, leading to symptoms like headaches, dizziness, seizures, fainting, and even death. Learn more in our blog post: Can drinking too much water be harmful?
During exercise, make sure your water contains 400–800 mg of sodium per liter. Note that sodium is not only obtained from table salt — fruits and vegetables also contain it. Sodium helps keep the body hydrated by increasing blood volume, which in turn allows more oxygen and nutrients to reach the muscles and helps remove waste products more efficiently.
Sources
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/gesund-ernaehren/salzkonsum-in-deutschland-11379
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/sites/default/files/migration_files/media236413A.pdf
https://cache.pressmailing.net/content/fa64deff-f136-4f73-9651-4b433c8f18bf/Salz-Grafik%20final.jpg?attachment=false.jpg
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31376-X/fulltext
https://www.bzfe.de/inhalt/salz-31688.html https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1304127#t=abstract https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/natrium-chlorid-kalium/