Time to rethink salt | Jens Titze | TEDxNashvilleSalon

The theory about salt and our body is simple and intuitive. But does it hold true when we test it on the long-term? Woven into this groundbreaking talk is a story about addressing a medical comfort zone with unconventional research questions, conducted at unconventional places, carried out with unconventional people. Watch this talk now to learn more. I am a clinician-scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and University of Erlangen, Germany. In 1991, as a medical student in Berlin, I took a class on human physiology in extreme environments. The professor who taught the course worked with the European space program and presented data from a simulated 28-day mission in which a crew lived in a small capsule. They had collected the astronauts’ urine and other physiological markers, and noticed something puzzling in the data: Their sodium excretion went up and down in a seven day cycle.
That contradicted all I had been taught in medical school: there should be no such temporal cycle. I made a decision that I wanted to study that. 25 years later, we have learned that humans and animals store large amounts of sodium in their tissues as they age, and that this sodium storage is coupled with disease. Our work suggests that we really do not understand the effect of sodium chloride on the body, and that it is time to rethink salt. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@19993gt]

My first listen was at normal speed and I was already tired. I sped it up to 1.25 and it’s perfectly digestible. 1.25 SPEED NEEDED!

[@Niketic88]

You want make a mistake even at 1.5😅

[@haraldtheyounger5504]

Yep, the need for speed... 1.50 or 1.75 if you can handle it. Just hit the settings button (the cog wheel) for those who don't know how to alter the speed.

[@ivorymagnus7347]

Thank you for saying this I watched before bed

[@Yodad0110]

I tried it with 1.5speed is even better

[@iAnon666]

This a 2x

[@jeffm.8134]

Would have been nice if they did a hair tissue mineral analysis before and after.

[@ShoSho-cq7ct]

I have questions: why are supposedly healthy diets such as Japanese diet or Mediterranean diets high in salt? Apparently heart diseases rate is quite low in these countries? So is salt really that bad? What If I consume 10g salt a day, but I eat a lot of fresh food and veggies high in potassium, and do regular exercise? And what if I also live in a hot and humid place where I get to sweat a lot? Would I still be fine?

[@phily708]

You could die from the overdoses long term and short term vomit more

[@luxeayt6694]

If you need more salt due to hot weather and excersise, eat more. There is a reason runners have salt in their water when being competitive.

[@faramund9865]

I mean people use to ‘pickle’ aka salt many things to preserve them longer before the advent of the freezer and refrigerator. They would easily hit 10g per day. You know. With anything, listen to your body. Salt I guess is difficult because eating too much gives similar symptoms as eating too little. But if you’re craving more salty foods, then go for it. Just don’t force it.

[@Magnulus76]

It's not always healthy. Parts of Japan like Nagano had average of 15g of sodium per day . When the government instituted a campaign to cut salt intake, strokes also were lowered.

[@Magnulus76]

@@faramund9865 Good advice. Keep salt low in processed foods, but salt your food to taste. Salty food should not taste overly salty. If it tastes salty, you're taking in too much salt. One time I got hot on a walk here in Florida, I came in and drank a can of V-8, which has about 500mg of sodium per can. I did not even taste the salt, it just tasted sweet. When your body craves salt, you will know.

[@influencefreedom]

I would want to know what the sugar intakes were for this all.

[@magicbaby5743]

VERY important question

[@user-qt5yx3gy8s]

It's very interesting story to break traditional Na-water concept. And I feel it's not slow for Japanese, non-native.

[@jamesdrake9000]

He talks like a person that's not all wacked out on uppers. Loved it. The next Ted talk will be on the dangers of long term high dose legal stimulant consumption. Yes that even means no more coffee.

[@nubythefirst]

I have to do a lover eeyou and

[@walidak8229]

Advice before starting the video put it on 2X

[@Mrkevi123]

Salt also fights off many diseases and fights off lethargic feelings. Also, sweating during workouts means lots of salt loss. Don't avoid salt. Consume it in moderation.

[@Trendle222]

i feel More lethargic and bloated when i have too much sodium

[@alex3rd11]

There’s salt in almost everything we eat. It’s nearly impossible to avoid

[@yellowbird5411]

@@alex3rd11 Read labels, eat whole foods, avoid sodas, learn sodium levels in different foods so you can eat as much as you want, but without the sodium. Cook from scratch at home and use spices, herbs and lemon juice, or even a dab of whole fruit jelly. You will not miss the salt. Snacks can be fruit, salads, a chicken leg, or anything you want, as long as it has no salt. Your taste will change within three days to where you don't crave salt any more.

[@Aboriginal_Alien]

The body only need 1/10 of a teaspoon or 500 milligrams daily for all the amazing benefits salt has to offer the body.

[@williamdahl1495]

​ @Aboriginal_Alien straight up wrong lil'bro

[@Stuke51]

Don't blame salt for what the sugar did!

[@Noeman2009]

High salt is no joke. For a person with a heart failure, too much salt means getting thirsty easily and crave for more water consumption. This result more water in plasma which will leak all over body that creates edema. Having edema you can't sleep like a normal person, you can only sleep while sitting. Trying to sleep laying down will level the water and creates breathing problem, you will gulp for air and get no good sleep. You can't eat normali since the disgestion track is also swelling.

[@justinmontgomery9526]

The info he gives is too vague. He says they ate 20% more, but 20% more of what? I’d like to see the foods they’re given. Also he showed an 85 year old heart with hypertension, but what do his other Health markers look like?

[@pravdanil]

it's a very important info, definitely deserves a much better presentation

[@bluecuracao6478]

Hey thank you, I noticed that salt doesn't directly add calories, but it makes me eating more food because of the flavor. I made an experiment today - I ate my porridge with salt and oil - as I usually do, and several hours later - just oil and porridge without salt. I tasted more plain but it still was tasty. And guess what - I consumed 2 times less and that was enough for me. As for the salt - it acts like a sauce - you eat more because of the flavor. And here is your video - now I know that digestion process, which makes our salt consumption also responsible for being overweight. Everybody knows about sugar, but there are few videos about salt. PS I also noticed that coffee consumption makes me eat more, but maybe it's just my specific thing, coffee makes my mind more chaotic

[@christopherellis2663]

Butter, not oil 🤮

[@19993gt]

I m 29 and I love salt. I’m obese. I’m 5’5” and weigh 300 lbs. I’m curious to see how I can implement salt into a healthier diet and be optimal.

[@raymonortiz3084]

Here's a clue. If your nutritional needs are complete in the ninety essential nutrients, your body will not bother you for food. Then you can begin to lose the excess weight.

[@mamasshrimp422]

Rid yourself of the processed food, beginning with flour and sugar. Look into the work of Dr. Joan Ifland, PhD. She is a food addiction expert who explains food addiction and why it is not our fault. Salt, sugar oil, gluten, dairy, should all be avoided, as they were purposely manipulated and added to processed foods and fast foods to get us addicted beginning at a young age, as well as our parent and grandparents. You can use salt as a sprinkling condiment, not to be added at every stage of cooking as professional chefs suggest. But you have to watch for the brand. Morton’s uses dextrose in their iodized salt which is a form of sugar, all intended to promote addiction.

[@19993gt]

@@mamasshrimp422 thank you I will👍🏾

[@lintonmewi3720]

The only diet you which you can eat salt and still deplete yourself of salt is the Keto diet..and carnivores diet too .

[@19993gt]

@@lintonmewi3720 ty for your advise

[@thealphaman9]

How much salt was used in the experiment and what kind of salt?

[@baslielalene4702]

Thanks

[@19993gt]

I’ll read the comments for further clarification but can some one help break down the end? About energy retention and it’s correlation To salt?

[@redragna3648]

If you eat too much salt, your liver needs energy to produce urea. For energy, your body will, through hunger, tell you that you need more calories or break down muscle tissue for it ion the absence of calories.

[@jeanettenejadi1777]

which sort of salt was ist? Table salt NaCl? What about sea salt? Would be the effect different?

[@DougHNuts-ee3vn]

I got the opposite info from the YT channel "What I Learned", he's got like 8 videos on why low sodium diets CAUSE the health problems they are supposed to solve.

[@keeproaring4736]

He exaggerates a lot of data in favour of his argument and berate the one against. Not very neutral

[@Dan0rioN]

Yeah... So many "experts" have been flat out wrong over the years.. The way I see it is, a high salty meal=thirsty af=dehydrated af.. Try telling snails salt is hydrating lol

[@justaman2659]

Salt is dehydrating. You only need a little bit salt in the diet.

[@farmersmith7057]

@@justaman2659 actually not enough salt is also dehydrating. You need both sodium and potassium (electrolytes) to help water hydrate body cells.

[@libertarianpunk8558]

@@justaman2659 that’s not true for everybody

[@sanchez21071994]

Really interesting but this guy talks so slowly!

[@fredhubbard7210]

Not so much slow speech, but so many pointless rhetorical questions.

[@user-et8gx4go3e]

ran the video at 1.25 speed

[@kathrynwitte3398]

How fast can you speak in Dutch?

[@michaelheld7601]

Maybe i am a bit slower than you all but this was exactly the pace i could follow along. And with all these rhetorical questions he actually drew a clear path of his way to his findings. It's how our brain works. I could possibly explain 90% of this to a friend after watching this a single time. And imho: the real proof of having understood something fully is when you can explain it. However i can definitely agree that this form of explanation is probably not the most ideal way for everybody. ;)

[@19993gt]

So much anticipation

[@oculed1101]

How does "produce more water in the body" happen

[@antman674]

Not a whole lot of detail given on this experiment. Such as what did the rest of the subjects diets consist of? How did they control and deliver the sodium? How many meals were they eating? How many calories were they eating? How much water were they getting? Was salt the only thing they were testing? And what was this, 6 people? Not a very large group to make a geralization about salt intake or anything else for that matter. Would require much more testing and larger group sets to validate these results and determine an the exact mechanics of whats happening. And really its sugar you should be afraid of anyway.

[@TheSimonsays85]

I may have missed it, but I was curious if anti-gravity was part of the simulation and what other factors could have been correlated with muscle loss over the year.

[@antman674]

@@TheSimonsays85 yes that too

[@m.3533]

Can someone to help to understand I have high blood pressure , and always eat salty food ( cant eat without salt ) , in some way craving for salt , on other hand i drinking too much water like 6-8 l ( 1.5-2 gallons ) , too many times go to pee. Does too much water cause my low sodium that crave for salt or my high intake sodium cause drinking too much water and remove my soidum and electrolytes ?, what overwhelmeing my kidneys ? Solution ? Thank you

[@m.3533]

its a table salt , a will switch to the Himalay . Thx for answer

[@artyomyer7087]

Not eating salt lowered my blood pressure, and saved my sleep, maybe potassium is also an answer

[@artyomyer7087]

This video changed my life

[@davidmiletic6647]

How?

[@artyomyer7087]

@@davidmiletic6647 before of that I eat a lot of salt, and believed it can't be accumulated in the body ( the amount entered, is the amount goes out) which we see now is false, I stopped eating salt and after two years I see some improvements in my health.

[@xploit811]

You don't salt your food at all?

[@artyomyer7087]

Yes, at all, it is hard especially dating my wife, or going outside with family or friends. The funny part is that I still have a lot of sodium in my body after two years! How do I know? Sorry for such details, my urine sodium is high, even today.@@xploit811

[@jonnyfranco7]

i think hes missing the hormonal change when including diet cause calorie restriction in small multpile meals perday can eat muscle as well.

[@ocircles738]

Getting heavy Roman chancellor vibes from this guy

[@cdogg82]

This study is missing a lot of context. Is the sodium processed table salt or natural sea salt. Is the salt being consumed with processed foods or a healthy diet? Natural sea salt consumed with healthy-unprocessed food is not an issue (as a healthy diet contains potassium which balances the sodium). The issue is consuming processed table salt along with processed food. I would imagine astronauts are eating processed foods as fresh food is not available in space or a contained space.

[@xassassin609]

Why does he say "A day or two" like that?

[@rayjones4951]

God sure knew what he was doing when he created the human body ! Wow!

[@19993gt]

I’m sure this conversation went for one or two days.

[@19993gt]

Wait hold up.,,, what? I came here assuming water conservation was a cause of salt . Not salt was related to water excretion

[@redragna3648]

You are looking at this in the short instead of long term.

[@xlilxillx]

what KIND of salt might be important to mention...ya know, refined...unrefined...

[@mikeb3315]

Sea salt, kosher salt... However many there are... Good point. Maybe he's just talking about salt from McDonald's food!

[@Jack-er6wi]

There’s no difference between salt types that would affect any of the processes here.

[@jdizzle9011]

No such thing as refined salt like only refined sugar. Salt is salt.

[@1000_Dominoes]

@@Jack-er6wi I beg to differ. There definitely IS a difference between the types of salt used, and unfortunately, this is where this talk falls short because it makes no distinction between good salt and bad. Unrefined sea salt can do what salt it supposed to do in the body. Refined salt, which is bleached and has added anti-caking agents, cannot do what it is supposed to do in the body, which is to absorb and attract water. When anti-caking agents are added for the express purpose of making it NOT attract water, which would cause it to clump together, the salt is worthless. It can no longer do its job. It is this salt that sits around worthless in the body, causing water to accumulate in places where it shouldn't, causing all kinds of edema issues and more.

[@eronackerman565]

I was wondering what difference iodized salt makes. Having not enough iodine can give people thyroid disorders. Neither sea salt nor kosher salt has iodine, and it’s not naturally occurring in many foods (mainly sea foods and yogurt, I think). So, I wonder if more people have become iodine deficient since those salts have become more common dietary staples.

[@dukedex5043]

Play at 1.5x speed to not fall asleep.

[@FlipYourCarIntoTheTornado]

God bless you

[@david_oliveira71]

Everyone who reads this: I highly recommend *Dr James DiNicolantonio* and this interview also on YT: Why You Need More Salt in Your Diet

[@christopherellis2663]

Sodium is not the same thing as salt. Not all salts have sodium.

[@joeroganpodfantasy42]

The last takeaway point was really important , taking sodium Na , makes our body skip on the fats that we eat , so the body needs another source so it uses our muscles.

[@Wolfsgejaule]

Only if you don't eat enough.

[@tomibadboi]

only if you're in zero G. smh

[@wilimelano]

too slow, watch at 1.5x speed

[@ratnarakshitwankhede9328]

Best Ted Talk Ever.

[@swingcountryarizona2351]

What does “high” salt diet mean? How much? In America we’re so scared of salt they’ve taken it out of everything. If you’re not eating fast food or processed food and you are eating a whole food plant based fiat then where is the salt coming from. Can you get enough salt from plants and vegetables?? Or meat that has no salt in it. What if those men are active abd sweating or living in a hot environment for weeks on end. Say 98+ degrees during the “day”. Is there any case where it’s very important to supplement with various salt’s. If I were watching this and learning about sly for the fiat time I would take away that salt is bad period end of story. Not a fan.

[@plant-based-nutrition]

I know exactly how much salt is in my breakfast. Maybe you shouldn't be on that stage... 🙄

[@ericpham4011]

It is the salt itself but the quality behind it is troubling. The blood in our system is seriously Scarry. MRI and Light can evaporate our body and reassemble or make light out of it and that is the future way of burrial in light. I had complete design

[@Areyouduckingserious]

Bro wtf did you just say?

[@akbarshoed]

Have NO IDEA what this guy is talking about or where he's coming from. He's as far off as is possible. Salt makes you LESS hungry. Salt will NOT lead to increased muscle wasting. Any discussion about water retention or diabetes must center around insulin levels, NOT Salt levels.

[@vitorpsr]

info might be ok but lecturer is horrendous

[@ElHolyBoy]

🤣

[@hassansyed5661]

Sodium consumption is dangerous

[@portalhaus7510]

Bhahahahaha

[@farmersmith7057]

Lack of sodium consumption is lethal.

[@epiphosion608]

its an essential nutrient , if ur cramping, anxious brain fog, disconnected ur broably low, ,,,,,,,,,,bloated , high blood pressure , headaches prob high ,,cotta find ur own sweet spot and adjust for heat and exercise ect

[@brewtality_]

Problem is in the chloride form, not the sodium i guess?

[@DELTACO..UBERDRIVER..STOCKS..]

@@farmersmith7057 if you live in america theres no such think as low sodiuum consuption