Salt: How Bad is it Really?

A level-headed look at research on how bad salt really is, what its effects are, and an examination of myths surrounding it.
- Links and Sources -
My Cookbook: micthevegan.com/product/mics-...
/ micthevegan
/ micthevegan
/ micthevegan - @micthevegan
plantspace.org
TIY Tiny House Channel: / @tiytinyityourself7733
AMAZON WISH LIST: a.co/aTEpQpK
FDA Recommendations:
www.fda.gov/food/resourcesfor...
The Intersalt study:
www.scielo.br/pdf/abc/v80n3/a0...
US: Nearly 30% of all and 1/2 over 40 has hypertension:
www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/dat...
Atherosclerosis Risk Factor Only:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Lives Saved by Salt Reduction Study:
www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journa...
US Sources of Sodium Intake:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Vegans 65% Lower Hypertension:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Vegan Extra Reasons for Low Blood Pressure:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Vegan Arteries Better than Marathoners:
www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10...
Salt stomach cancer link: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Salt Co-carcinogen in Stomach Cancer (also 5,000 years ago figure):
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
Korean Salt Intake Study:
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Rates by Country : www.wcrf.org/int/cancer-facts...
Calcium and Sodium Connection Article:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
Iodine History:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Sodium Addiction Study:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
CSPI Sodium of Restaurants:
cspinet.org/sites/default/fil...

[@xfuriousapex]

true story: i was working in a restaurant. a customer told me we should start using sea salt salt because it's healthier than regular salt. when i asked her in what way she replied, "it has fewer calories." she got very angry when i told her salt has no calories. she called me an idiot.

[@Luffa187]

This comment made my day. Thanks for the laugh man.

[@halasimov1362]

The stupid customer is always right!

[@Gabe62046]

John Adams customers are always right, until they walk out the door son

[@evab.6240]

😂😂

[@Melissa.Garrett]

Well, sea salt IS better . . . because it doesn’t contain chemical anti-clumping agents. That woman, though. 😂

[@artjohnson1757]

My wife is Korean, and I ate Korean food for 42 yrs.. I quit Korean food exactly on yr. ago, July 2017 after doing months of research. I went on the anti salt, oil, and sugar diet, in ten wks. I quit five meds., lost 17 pounds, and my Arthritis is gone. I'm whole food plant based for life. Sadly my doctor just doesn't understand how I did this, seems he don't know a damn thing about nutrition, and he's 71 yrs. old. He told me I should eat meat, and drink milk, OMG will the medical field ever learn anything.

[@littlebabyowl2742]

Art Johnson only 1/4 of medical schools require doctors to take even a SINGLE nutrition course. Doctors are highly uneducated in nutrition and their nutrition advice shouldn’t really be trusted

[@jvall5879]

That's amazing!

[@mrschmidt8384]

Congrats, that's amazing!!

[@genevievefortruth]

Good for you, keep it up and fire the doctor!

[@midguy4265]

Nice man I don't plan on getting arthritis playing guitar as well

[@TheOnlyFairee]

I used to eat absolutely 0 added salt (and I eat whole foods vegan, cook everything at home, so I made sure it was 0) because of videos by Dr. Greger saying we don't need any beyond what's naturally found in food. I started feeling dizzy and nauseous all the time, and monthsss later saw a video by Bonnie Rebecca about why she started eating salt again, because lack of salt made her blood pressure too low causing nausea and dizziness. I added salt back to my food (which was a delicious problem to have!) And I haven't felt dizzy like that since!

[@diociharesibelli2547]

TheOnlyFairee yes just add some salt when u make pasta or sauteed veggies thats what i do so ik i dont go over board or too little

[@moisesg.286]

TheOnlyFairee The problem isn't the lack of salt but an abnormal blood pressure, which is caused by other factors.

[@TheOnlyFairee]

Like what other factors?

[@moisesg.286]

No healthy person suffers from low blood pressure, so it would be necessary to improve health condition.

[@TheOnlyFairee]

I've been to the doctor and they told me I'm healthy. There are also studies out there that show a U shaped curve for salt intake, where too little can be dangerous. So I think those studies make sense, that a little bit of salt is necessary.

[@a.s.vanhoose1545]

Trust me guys. As you slowly cut your salt use you will begin to enjoy the subtle flavors of these plant foods without added salt. Just add garlic and citrus and other things to make the foods more flavourful.

[@diociharesibelli2547]

A. S. VanHoose still need some salt or else you will get dizzy

[@a.s.vanhoose1545]

@[]Xanalimarie[] Foods contain sodium naturally.

[@shawndarling5855]

A. S. VanHoose Citrus has acids that rot your teeth. Garlic gives you bad breath.

[@JeffreyDeGuiaGoogle]

LOL

[@GrimRize]

Funnily enough the only thing I put salt on are potatoes and broccoli........ they taste horrid to me otherwise.....

[@magicalsimmy]

That is the most accurate imitation of an artery on the Internet! You win, sir!

[@stoneblue1795]

he took the wig off for that one.

[@fortcastlevgn2368]

best joke of the day

[@theduffman9834]

Lol no

[@luv_sic]

Don't talk to men its haram

[@jade-clairerae1360]

I love that this is the top comment

[@someguy2135]

If meat weren't salted, would anyone eat it? Here is a short animated video that covers this topic from Veganimation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpWnmnZ5otilY6c

[@veganlies9324]

Some Guy I would and so would millions of others

[@someguy2135]

@ Vegan "Lies" You grew up eating meat, like I did. Your meat was salted, right? The first time you were told to eat your food by your parents, try to imagine how you would have reacted if your meat dish was served without salt. I can enjoy many foods without seasoning, but meat would not be one of them. Of course, I wouldn't eat meat anyway now.

[@veganlies9324]

Some Guy im pretty sure most kids eating meat for the first time would enjoy meat with or without salt. Lol.

[@someguy2135]

@ Vegan "Lies" You have not presented any arguments worth debating. I am going to spend my time elsewhere.

[@veganlies9324]

Some Guy lol neither did you. It funny how delusional you are. Have a great day.

[@nenalopez1634]

So glad you made a video on this! Thanks Mic

[@Skiskiski]

When I do agree with the low sodium (salt) diet (I probably consume less than 500 mg a day), I must point out that they were cases of under-educated long-distance runners dying because they would not eat any salt and drink a lot of water (too much water). They did not understand that human body can assimilate only at most 1 quart (almost 1 liter) of water per hour ("Lore of Running," Tim Noakes, MD); however, extra water can still lower the sodium levels in human bloodstream by washing the salt out of the digestive system.

[@Magnulus76]

It's called hyponaetremia, and happens when you consume too much water and/or too little salt. That's why electrolyte sports drinks are important for athletes. When you sweat, you excrete massive amounts of sodium and other minerals (including iodine).

[@KarlFL]

I know I'm commenting rather late on this but this was exactly my experience when I first got into running when I was 15. Not as tragically, obviously, or I wouldn't be here, but I would be dizzy and sometimes even have diarrhea the entire day after I went for a long run (10k+). I wasn't yet vegan but already ate mostly whole food plant based back then and barely ever added any salt to anything because it's just common knowledge that too much salt is unhealthy - but I had no idea that too little could be dangerous, too. Then, over the years I read tons of articles written by sports scientists and coaches and people with actual real life experience as athletes saying that, depending on your individual genes or whatever determines that, you lose between 500 mg and 2000 mg of sodium with each liter of sweat! You can actually just weigh yourself pre- and post-workout to figure our how much you sweat more or less. Obviously, most of the weight you lose will be water and with that water, you'll lose sodium. I'm not a pro athlete or anything but I sometimes get white salt stains on my clothes when working out in hot weather and my sweat stings in my eyes and tastes quite salty, so I assume I'm just at the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to the amount of sodium I lose sweating. And, living in hot Southern Spain, I often weigh 3-4 kg less after a 2-3 hour run than before, which probably means that I lost over 3 liters of sweat, meaning up to 6000 mg of sodium. (Again, I'm not an expert and I don't know if all that weight is actually sweat, but what else would it be? I figure that if I burn about 800 calories an hour, that's at most 0.2 kg of glycogen and fat plus whatever amount of water is bound up with that, so something like 80% of the weight lost must be water, most of which through sweat.) I realise that Mike talks more about the general population in his video, that most people who have to worry about their sodium intake are more sedentary, and that my account here is just anecdotal, nor do I have any degree or anything in nutrition, but I have found that I recover so much better after a long run (in my case usually 1-3 hours) and without any headaches or diarrhea if I just add between 3 and 10 grams of common iodised tablesalt to my food on those long run days, the exact amount depending on the weather and the duration of the workout. And the added salt was the only change I made. I try to stay away from sports drinks and stuff with other additives, so one of my favourite post-run drinks I can really recommend both in terms of taste and effect is just a large smoothie made with a bunch of ripe tomatoes (that will also replace some of the glucose and other minerals you've lost, I imagine), a little bit of avocado or some other healthy fat, maybe some nuts or seeds and whatever amount of salt you figure you need to replace the sodium you lost working out and other spices if you like them. Obviously black pepper and oregano go really well with tomatoes. I really don't think any of what I described would be an issue for anyone working out in colder climates or for less than an hour. And, as I've said, that's just what I've figured out for my own body, nor do I know if it's ideal. I just can't be bothered (or afford haha) to pay for a nutritionist or pro coach. But I don't think sodium restriction is necessary or even healthy for every lifestyle in every climate and for everyone. It would be interesting to know if there's a difference in the amount of sodium lost through sweating in different populations rather than just individuals within populations. If those people Mike mentioned in the video who consume less than 200 mg of sodium a day maybe have genetics or other adaptations that protect them from losing so much sodium, or if it's maybe similar to lactose tolerance that was an adaptation to dairy farming in some populations. Maybe Europeans like myself and other cultures that began adding sodium to their diets some millenia ago became more "salt-tolerant" by excreting more sodium with their sweat to compensate for the consumption of added salt? Maybe this tolerance even developed into a dependence (at least for those individuals who sweat a lot due to climate and/or lifestyle). Just a hypothesis. I also figure that for the athlete, the calcium thing wouldn't be as much of an issue, since the sodium doesn't have to be excreted by the kidneys but rather through the skin.

[@hata6290]

@@KarlFL wow

[@robert10197]

"what did you just watch? I don't know" LMAO I love this guy

[@dumbeetle1]

As an Informatics major, the way you present information is great. People can understand it far easier than a research paper. The fact that we have such a large amount of information that people can't scan through makes videos like this much more important.

[@Yersinia]

Are you kidding me? This douchebag can't tell difference between correlation and causation and you are praising his information presenting skills? LOL

[@dumbeetle1]

@@Yersinia What I stated (2 years ago) has nothing to do with causation vs. correlation. Rather presentation of information. Which is far from veracity. Making something easy to digest is a difficult skill especially when it pertains to translating studies and research papers. It's something I do for a living. So, I'm expressing appreciation of taking a difficult subject and making it easier to understand. That being said, I'd love to see timestamps of when he is making assumptions of causation or correlation that aren't based in the results of a study that he's referencing. I haven't watched this or his channel for a while, but I don't mind learning more regarding the points he's made in the video.

[@DanteLikesRock]

5 years later and this comment holds true-er than ever.

[@ryuji_chua]

Great video as always. Love how you back everything up. Very informative and entertaining at the same time. Much love brother!

[@rowenaanderson3739]

Thanks for another educational and entertaining video :)

[@nate5574]

Thanks mic, great stuff, learn a lot, i hit that like button.

[@mackenziebrenner7214]

You are hilarious, intelligent, and amazing. Thank you for all you do!! You are making a huge positive difference in my life.

[@tinker651]

Your videos are always top quality! Thank you!

[@Jon_Izzy]

I’ve been waiting for this video from you!

[@jholmie6016]

i stopped adding salt to pretty much all my food a while back and your taste buds definitely adjust!

[@lilkira5579]

Are you still not salting? Any updates

[@Vince3000XD]

WTF I actually thought about reducing my salt intake today and now this video comes out haha

[@Mr.Witness]

Vince and here am i a year later with suggested

[@Awksparks]

@KolTony but it stays in your blood

[@maxmwegerano7400]

@KolTony nah it's accumulative substance meaning overtime you're only gonna make the blood pressure worse if u continue to pour salt over your food. Whole foods already have enough sodium there's no reason to screw up mineral ratios by adding some crushed rocks to your meal.

[@PatrykKarter]

Yet another amazing video ❤️ thank you so much for your work

[@Beatsnroots]

I love all you do bro, thank you!!

[@Magnulus76]

The lack of fresh vegetables in the diet is probably the cause of high stomach cancer rates in Asia. It's definitely something that I think it's so clear cut.

[@melodiousaddiction4189]

I've also read that Asians smoke a lot but I'm not sure.

[@tyras_heartlocker]

Great video! Going SOS free (added salt, oil and sugar) was one of the best decisions of my life. Healthier, better digestion and you get to appreciate the raw and real tastes of foods (with exceptions of eating out, gotta live a little). PLUS I didn't know about the calcium thing, glad I learnt that :D

[@willowbc1]

Mic, dude, you're just getting funnier and funnier. Love it. Great way spread information :)

[@luclongly529]

Good to see ya mic!😃

[@007Layanne]

I'm from Brazil and It was nice to hear about our indians If the europeans haven't got here we were doing pretty well

[@AriaFawn]

Your videos actually make me laugh so much more than I would expect! You have such a good, straight forward way of speaking that is clear and easy to understand and you manage to cover so much information in such a short time. Thank you for all the amazingly helpful information. You have helped me so much to describe the healthy factors of my vegan diet to skeptical friends and family.

[@veganatheistandmore]

Thank you Mic! Great vid. I love your style/humor! 😄

[@AveryCreates]

Mic you're HILARIOUS! Wonderful video as always.

[@rozis9716]

Hello, only a few seconds in but I'm sure this is going to be up to your usual standard of quality. Thanks for the upload

[@mortenandersson9358]

Do some research yourself and check out diffrent sources instead of relying on these youtubers. Is it really salt in the diet or something else that raises blood pressure the most and is it always bad? openheart.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000167

[@philddlesticks]

That study is epidemiological lol.. it is the salt because it is not balanced with potassium, magnesium or calcium! or water lol. OFC they can blame refined carbs because they always add salt to them!

[@saddamhussein8489]

@@mortenandersson9358 nice observational study lol

[@user-ni6xq7cp4r]

Am I mentally okay for snorting salt?

[@a.s.vanhoose1545]

Yes

[@Brickinasock]

No

[@Klasharx3x]

yes totally mentally healthy my friend.

[@urinanal1859]

no, i do it too

[@Avenger222]

I'm a fan of the free-range salt. Helps me lie to myself about my decisions.

[@elinesophie6134]

Keep it up! I learned a lot AND laughed out loud many times :)

[@Puudify]

Been waiting for this so long.

[@tspicks4360]

Thanks for explaining the process behind the effect of salt on kidney function. I knew it had an impact, but I wasn't quite sure how. Another good one, keep 'em coming please!

[@sillymoop]

I’m glad you covered salt as being addictive. I have a savoury tooth and 100% have a problem (or addiction) to salt. When I tell people this they look at me like I’m mad lol. It’s much easier to eat a no added salt whole plant diet or to have very little salt if any.

[@janejustin1788]

OMG! me too...when i tell people i want to cut down my salt intake because i heard it increases hypertension and stomach cancer risks, they don't think salt can be an issue. Like you, i have a salty/savoury tooth. My snacks are crisps, chips, chevda etc. I add table salt to my food. I even used to eat table salt. I think it's because there isn't much awareness of excess salt being a health risk. People are only aware of risks of excess sugar intake

[@marakima]

@@janejustin1788 Hope you are achieving your salt reduction. I love and have used excess salt for years, and the only way out for me has been to cut it out 100%, otherwise I'll backslide.

[@_-Zoe-_]

This video made me laugh so hard! Thanks so much for all your awesome work Mike!

[@jessibertic5084]

so awesomely funny in the beginning!! keep it coming!

[@annlamb2210]

Don’t ever stop with fun stuff (Southern fried artery).

[@rarespencer4642]

You showed how 75% of our salt intake comes from processed foods so maybe salt intake in these studies is just a marker for processed and bad foods that already are bad for us and not the salt itself that causes the problems.

[@idontthinkso6172]

Yup

[@nicholasstoker284]

Maybe that's one of the reasons that processed food is unhealthy [not maybe]

[@idontthinkso6172]

@@nicholasstoker284 no

[@hata6290]

@@idontthinkso6172 huh????

[@hata6290]

What are you talking about? Are you saying a large salt intake isn’t bad if done in a healthy way? Cause unfortunately that’s wrong, and he did also mention that tribe that took in almost no sodium

[@daniel_j_munoz]

More entertaining than ever awesome work (seen all the vids dieing for more content)

[@lacha608]

Great video!

[@jimmycras599]

First haha- jk i genuinely enjoy your content and a vid on veg police would be interesting. Keep it up mic

[@onewish2230]

...... I thought sodium only came from salt..... WELL I KNOW NOW SO YOU CANT TALK ABOUT ME!!!!

[@pattyhateswoo]

Omg! you're hilarious! We love watching your stuff! We so appreciate the work you put into your videos! Thanks for the wicked info! 😍

[@syggyballs]

YAY NEW MIC VIDEO

[@TrojansFirst]

what about the salt that is 50% salt and 50% potassium chloride? That would be a way of lowering your salt intake and still having tasty dishes.

[@smudge8882]

Potassium chloride is a type of salt though

[@MrDesoto1]

Thank you Doctor.

[@PapaVikingCodes]

I'm enjoying the heavier dose of humor in this one. Please keep it up. Great video; learned much.

[@fruitascension5089]

I always get lots out of your videos, plus entertainment! Lol.. love it! Thank you!!

[@brentonwolf]

Yea -table salt. Pink Himalayan sea salt is excellent for cells

[@Tarrynn]

I’m not sure if you’ve made anything addressing it yet. I’m just now binging your videos. I have hypotension and I can’t find any vegan doctors talking about that. It happened when I started losing weight on a vegan diet 5 years ago. It goes away when I eat processed food, but obviously that’s not in line with my weight goals. It also sucks to be dizzy often though.. so I’ve been stuck in a weird health place. I’m hoping someone can make a good video on how to combat this with a vegan diet. What’s weird is, even with adding extra salt to whole foods, I still get dizzy. It’s only when I’m eating both frequently and eating processed foods that the dizziness goes away :/

[@kittenlilly100]

I have Dysautonomia it's a condition that causes me to faint. Doctor's have all told me salt is the best medicine for me because it keeps my blood pressure up. If I don't have salt it's to low. Unfortunately there's no vegan doctors who talk about it.

[@BowenUSA]

Have you tried celery juice upon waking? It has a bunch of natural sodium although in a good balance with potassium. It may help your electrolyte balance.

[@plantlife751]

Good science with a bit of fun! Great stuff.

[@wendybergstrom2732]

Love your sense of humor!

[@ScrayXXI]

A4V: How bad is it really?

[@r.m8146]

Do a video on meat production efficiency: amount of land, calories, pollution, government subsidies and how would a plant based world look like.

[@HomeSkillenSLICE]

he already did its called end world hunger on his channel look it up

[@Len1977gt]

HE DID

[@kriziaflammia9239]

Ok Mic you are so awesome. Thank you so much for all you knowledge!!!

[@michaelonello1022]

keep up the good work...!

[@Curt_Randall]

I have been on a very low sodium diet for a couple years and realized I have been peeing more even though I have not been drinking more water. After ruling out things like diabetes or other issues that can cause this, I read where having too little sodium in your body can make you pee excessively because the kidney needs to retain a certain amount of sodium in the body. On a super low salt diet the kidney signals the body to flush more water to raise the sodium concentration to a level the body needs. After reading about this I experimented by gradually adding some salt to my food. It did indeed stop the excessive peeing. Not sure what it did to my blood pressure though. . .

[@oransjball]

Curt Randall you're simply addicted to salt. Normies gon normie

[@Firebuck]

Watch 1:03 again. Might be the extra salt is slowing down your kidneys. You should probably check your blood pressure on both super low salt and the current levels to see if you are trading excessive peeing for another problem.

[@QdaChosenOne23]

I agree.. I took notice of this. When i started the gallon(water) a day challenge. I would seriously have to run to the restroom to urinate. Started adding pink Himalayan salt.. And feel more hydrated less aggressive bathroom callings.

[@Ty4755]

i think your over hydrating yes its a thing

[@MarekHekselman]

its true that we need some salt, it keeps water managment in our body in check, if u add just a pinch of salt to ur drink, ur body will absorb it better, just read how electrolyte drinks work

[@sophieslater9269]

I require a ton of salt everyday in order not to faint. I have POTS which causes severe low blood pressure so salt helps keep my blood pressure up

[@Bc232klm]

Then make sure to keep that up! It's far better to have too much salt than not enough.

[@amandadelatorre8371]

Celery juice on an empty stomach is really good at stabilizing blood pressure, because it has natural salts in it

[@Bob-np9no]

Sophie Slater licoricee

[@joannaking6101]

Sophie Slater me too!!

[@sparklie84]

I also have pots. I like nuun electrolyte tablets. They have several times the sodium of other electrolyte products that I've seen, taste good and they're vegan. Much better than canned meat, which the cardiologist recommended as a way for me to consume more salt. I'm serious.

[@truefuschniken]

Love this- thank you!!! :)

[@milesvaska1301]

Solid useful video love these Also ur hilarious

[@regal65821]

What about the idea that without a good amount of sodium, you are more susceptible to cramps? This is important to me personally because I'm an athlete and I hate getting cramps. I try eating more salt to compensate.

[@davidarmstrong1219]

You need more potassium not more salt to prevent cramps.

[@axisaudio2673]

Hello Mike Great video. Although I expected you to talk about increasing your potassium intake to counteract some of the negative effects of salt (while of course cutting the latter down). At least in my experience increasing potassium intake also helps to reduce cravings for salt and sweets.

[@ohangiebabydoingHCG]

I just love your videos!

[@stongerwithplants]

i love your videos thank you for putting so much time into research people like me dont have time for.

[@1PaulG1]

My only vice left .. salt... Nooooooooooooooooo

[@mdansson]

Same exact thought. I gave myself time until I naturally hit a point of being tired of needing salt to like my food. Been salt free a few weeks now. Food already tastes naturally rich and good. Not as intense as before, admittedly, but I am enjoying it and I also have better apetite control. Takes some getting used to tho

[@Luffa187]

If you really love salt, then don't worry. When you first go salt free your food will taste very bland, but it doesn't stay that way. What a lot of people don't know is that salt is extremely addicting. After a couple of weeks with no salt your addiction will go away and even the most bland whole food plants will taste good again.

[@LongToad]

I wouldn't worry about it to be honest, unless you're sensitive to salt. There are varying studies on salt, many of them don't isolate other possible factors or associations- like that many meats/processed foods are heavily salted and that those foods themselves are bad for you for other reasons. There are also studies suggesting that low salt intake could be associated with higher triglycerides, cholesterol, and risk of type2 diabetes. It's really hard to tell what we should do at the moment, more research needs to be done. The best thing to do, IMO, is test your blood pressure and if it's high, cut back on salt for a week or two and see if it actually helps.

[@allencrider]

Switch to cocaine.

[@bagiee1]

You can just reduce it... or change it to products like "No Salt", or something similar, (if they sell such stuff at the area you live in) which have all the benefits of salt but without the sodium.

[@sinjonsturgill9007]

I find that if I add salt when my digestion is poor, then it helps a lot.

[@sinjonsturgill9007]

Turqoise I have trouble digesting certain raw foods such as spinach, but I put cooked Lentils on top to cook them a bit so they are easier to digest, but sometimes the spinach leaves don't get fully cooked so my stomach may get Irritated. I also do intermittent fasting, so I may have lower stomach acid than most people when eating my first meal of the day. Now I'm not saying I use salt every day, but I do use it when I have a pinch to fix intestinal discomfort, which only happens about 1 time a month or less. 😀

[@Lemonz1989]

Sodium is needed for proper digestion. It's used by the nerves in the gut and to control fluid balance in the cells. :)

[@tyras_heartlocker]

Interesting, I find my digestion is worse with salt.

[@vegansoul2940]

I think that poor chewing of green leafy veggies like spinach can make your digestion worse. Chewing your food really properly is very important.

[@Lemonz1989]

@Peter Rabitt _"My two cents - Salt has no effect on my digestion at all. It does raise my BP by 40 points"_ That is a very significant rise. The average rise for each teaspoon is around 0.5 to 4 mmHg in both systolic and diastolic pressure. Do you eat a lot of greens and maybe beans as well? The blood pressure increasing effects of salt are accentuated by a low intake of potassium - i.e. potassium is a "counter" to the unhealthy effects of regular salt.

[@jaafarawadallah514]

Great video mike your amazing

[@mawrawmiller561]

You are sooooo funny! Thanks for sharing❤️🌿✨

[@helicart]

I get about 1g of iodized salt (400mg sodium) most days, for the iodine. Iodine deficiency is a real health risk with WFPB diet in most parts of the world, and it can lead to grossly impaired cognitive function and the usual thyroid issues. Deficiencies vegans should be aware of and supplement are : B12, Vit.D, and iodine.

[@twosnakesonesword3299]

helicart there are iodine rich foods and sea vegetables :) no need to take a supplement and too much iodine can be harmful as well. As far as vit B12 and vit d that's pretty much everyone, regardless of their diet.

[@helicart]

Iodine content of (unprocessed) food is subordinate to iodine content of the soils the food is grown in, and this varies within nations and between. i.e Europe has less average soil iodine than the US. Coastal soils have higher iodine content than non coastal. Seaweeds are not universally consumed most days of the week by vegans, and not all seaweeds have adequate levels. Seaweeds have issues with toxic arsenic content. Seaweeds have significant sodium content, so eating them in volumes for adequate iodine gives no advantage over consuming appropriate levels of iodized salt. Cruciferous vegetables and soy products impair gut absorption of iodine. Considering a real consequence of deficient iodine during pregnancy and in young children, is cretinism, adequate intake is not a trivial matter. Further, people living in humid tropical and subtropical climes where sweat rates are higher, will not get enough salt from a no salt diet.

[@DinarAndFriends]

helicart. That's a dangerous way of getting iodine.

[@helicart]

@Dinar give me the science behind your fearful belief.

[@byusaranicole]

I got myself some organic kelp powder. It's just dried and powdered kelp. (NOW brand, 8 oz. Has 2522 servings in the container.) I put one of the TINY scoops into my salad dressing. You really can't taste it.

[@POSTMASTER_Rion-Donald_Harmon.]

I try to keep it under 1000mg. Some days I only get around 500mg. I found trace sea minerals are good.

[@wethetreeple3661]

oɌionⓋ ive read that our bodies do not absorb the minerals as well in that raw state. It is better and more efficient for plants to absorb the minerals and process them into phytochemicals which we can easily take in. :)

[@POSTMASTER_Rion-Donald_Harmon.]

we the treeple maybe fat helps absorbtion

[@schapdel]

good video that, very informative

[@a.wilkinson9912]

Read an article today about salt intake so had to come revisit this video.😃 Thank you Mike!

[@rawfoodphilosophy7061]

please cut out processed foods, even vegan processed food

[@brendandalton7879]

This sounds incredibly boring and difficult. How do I go out to dinner with friends? Do I order plain salad with no dressing? Do I order a side of sliced lemon? Yes, what you are suggesting is probably “ideal,” but incredibly unrealistic in the real world. I think it’s better to just have a balanced approach. Eat some vegan processed food, but eat MORE whole plant foods. Telling people to “cut out” foods that are incredibly commonplace and difficult to avoid is not helpful.

[@ellemvria]

Healthiest diet is mainly whole foods, but even more importantly a diet you can actually stick to. Having a (vegan) burger here and there won't kill you if you eat well 90% of the time.

[@rawfoodphilosophy7061]

@@sewil I agree completely that used to say moderation of cigarettes and moderation of using cocaine when it was in Coca-Cola so yes moderation is the key moderation of poisonous substances in your body

[@dondajulah4168]

@@brendandalton7879 Yeah, eat your salad with those toxic oxidized seed oil dressings.

[@brendandalton7879]

@@dondajulah4168, I’ll probably be just fine with my salad dressings. But thanks for the sanctimonious fear-mongering!

[@sidilicious11]

I can’t watch this in case it's against salt.....I need a bit on my life, I use Real Salt and Braggs Liquid Aminos and hope I’m not making a mistake. Will watch later when I’m braver.

[@diociharesibelli2547]

Sidilicious yes you need salt but its talking avout not going overbroad

[@byusaranicole]

Bragg's has a LOT more sodium in it than people think (definitely more than low sodium soy sauce) because the serving size listed on the bottle is different than on soy sauce.

[@byusaranicole]

I googled Bragg's: 320mg/1 tsp. Low-sodium soy: 600mg/1 Tbsp OR 200mg/1 tsp. Coconut aminos: 90mg/1 tsp. Coconut aminos ingredients: "Organic coconut tree sap aged and blended with sun-dried, mineral-rich sea salt." It's a good substitute, but more sweet than salty.

[@angela_somanythings5670]

byusaranicole - i switched to coconut aminos a few months ago, instead of tamari, and am loving it!!

[@burtonblazekbb]

Merlin Hawk Liquid aminos is just hydrolyzed soy protein not harmful

[@wizardlyrhino2824]

love you mickey. you're my fav veggie man

[@Holeydoughnuts]

Hey Mic, just wanted you to know the KZbin ad before this vid was for a ketogenic quick start guide :/ not sure if you have any input regarding your ads but I know you wouldn’t be super happy about this!! Thanks for your work and passion.

[@gigipizzuto4068]

Unfortunately that is not entirely true. Some people tend to have low blood pressure. For those people, getting rid of salt is far from attainable. And just like I answer meat eaters, this time I have to answer you the same way Mic, sorry. 5000 years ago people lived much shorter, not really a good comparison. In addition, their food cleaning process was way different. I'm sure they would get salt from dirt more than we do.

[@allencrider]

Sorry, Gigi, but you're wrong.

[@gigipizzuto4068]

Reverend Al about???

[@0ThrowawayAccount0]

Reverend Al you’re a part of the toxic vegan culture that makes everyone think we are all as insufferable as you.

[@straightxvedge]

Fuck... This is like a scared straight video for me. 😭💔

[@AntonsClass]

You seem to read my mind. I was just researching this topic earlier today.

[@billybell6950]

Moderation is a good idea 💡. Thanks.

[@ThisRawLife]

Dr. Furhman talks about the dangers of salt for vegans, they are at a higher risk of ishemic stroke, due to lower cholesterol levels.

[@karlwheatley1244]

No, lower LDL is associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke, but higher rates for hemorrhagic stroke, but ischemic is by far the more common.

[@ThisRawLife]

This is what Dr. Furhman said. Check it out for yourself. ;)

[@karlwheatley1244]

And furthermore, the primary way you reduce or eliminate your risk of ischemic stroke and heart attacks is getting your cholesterol down to the normal/healthy range (35-60), at which point plaque no longer forms in people's arteries and heart attacks and strokes are incredibly rare. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109704007168 dresselstyn.com/JFP_06307_Article1.pdf And the best way to get your LDL that low is via a very low fat vegan diet. So, if Dr. Fuhrman is saying that, he has obviously lost sight of the big picture--the lowest overall rates of disease and mortality come from a very low fat plant-based diet that gets LDL levels down to ~35-60. If all those benefits come with a small increase in a rarer type of stroke (hemorrhagic), then so be it.

[@ThisRawLife]

I don't believe that's what Dr. Furhman stated.

[@karlwheatley1244]

Laura, He may have said it--but I just rebutted it while you were messaging me.

[@veg]

It's not the salt! It's the animal products that comes with the salt!

[@ellulturner]

What about that case study of a "zero sodium population" they ate meat and had no heart or blood pressure issues

[@bonpearson3177]

excellent info

[@orchidjewels48]

Good explanation.

[@ryanstucke7811]

i eat waaay to much salt

[@davlor86]

my dad as well and he suffers from high blood pressure but what it saves him is that he exercises daily and a lot

[@zain4019]

Ryan Stucke You know what to do

[@annatrusty]

Yes. I love this video. I am breastfeeding and crave salt and pepper. Why? I drink 1 gallon of water a day. I pump 40-60 ounces of breast milk a day. Does my body need salt when breastfeeding?

[@POSTMASTER_Rion-Donald_Harmon.]

Anna Ferrell minerals

[@Chronically_ChiII]

Bare in mimd that not all cravings are logical when prego or breastfeeding, but it could be that you need iodine or sodium.

[@a.s.vanhoose1545]

Your body may be craving electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and, yes, sodium. You may want to increase your non-sodium electrolytes and slightly increase your sodium intake if that doesn't work.

[@peterfaber9316]

Anna Ferrell You should only drink water when you're thirsty. Humans have an amazingly well functioning system to guide your water consumption need, especially when you eat healthy to begin with. Forcing a gallon of water down your throat will just deplete your electrolytes. It's true thay we need something like a gallon of water per day, but that gallon includes all the water that is in your food which is actually where you get most of your water requirements. When breast feeding the rule doesn't change. Drink when you're thirsty.

[@byusaranicole]

Breastfeeding is very dehydrating, and you probably need electrolytes with all the water you're chugging. If you crave salt, eat it. It's really important to listen to your body when you're pregnant/breastfeeding!

[@elimcjones9771]

LOVE THIS

[@allangraham3649]

Thanks man learnt allot :)

[@kenthanna]

Salt, the only rock we eat.

[@kenthanna]

Peter Rabitt calcium carbonate is a component of rocks so no on that one. Can’t be bothered to check the other two since the first was a fail.

[@midguy4265]

@Peter Rabitt no wonder my mouth would get watery when I heard someone say "limestone"

[@canvas1bag]

Omg my blood pressure went up laughing at this vid - “pee and intimate together” 😂

[@wouterdesmedt1736]

Your comedic timing is on point on this one.

[@albertoscatto5796]

Thank you Mic I found this video very interesting and helpful (V)

[@libertylarry3224]

Can athletes get away with eating more salt because they sweat it out again?

[@kw1213]

Athletes can definitely use more salt although that really depends on your diet.I wouldn't necessarily add more , but i wouldn't avoid it. Just drink enough water and try to get more calcium in you.

[@Brickinasock]

Yes

[@linkinl1]

If tribal people can thrive on 200 mg then like 5-600+ would probably be fine for an athlete

[@Bc232klm]

Yes, absolutely.

[@allencrider]

It will destroy your arteries whether or not you sweat a lot. Old athletes give themselves hypertension when they get old.

[@jasminebartz]

Have you heard that most table salt has micro plastics in it now. 😔

[@ES11777]

Miss Jasmine Hoop Most bottled water has micro plastics as well, I don't know about tap water though

[@catiapb1]

Pipes are made out of plastic.

[@astrodonunt]

The tap water isn't exactly clean either :( www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals You'd have to check this for yourself because I forgot where I saw it (maybe it was in this article too), but apparently an average family is putting the equivalent of a plastic bag directly down the pipes/into rivers and the sea each week through washing clothing containing plastic microfibres. I think polyester fleece is meant to be the worst offender, which would make sense considering how fluffy it is and how easy it is to pull off, depending on the clothing.

[@rodymens3991]

astrodonunt Hey, you could look at the Guppyfriend or things like that if you're interested

[@audiogarden21]

About to hit 250k Mic!

[@behappynutrition]

Very good!

[@Ihelpanytime]

Here is the reason why vegans can consume more salt. It's because meat eaters need so much more salt on meat so they can eat it 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@SuperDipMonster]

Raw ground beef certainly needs more salt. It's very bland

[@luv_sic]

That emojis tho

[@livlauryn]

I think that the high rates of stomach cancer in Korea would be more to do with the very high consumption of alcohol than salt but I guess salt may contribute a little.

[@gainesdominique]

Good videos. Thanks.

[@sergiorocha76]

Mic was probably the only guy that looked forward to doing class presentations