Salt -- interesting results

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Doc does the yearly blood test thing and comes back with everything ok but the blood counts were anemic. This has been the case for at least a couple of years now.

I have tried iron supplements but didn't really notice any difference.

I did some searches on how to increase blood volume. One of the more interesting articles explored the relationship between low blood volume and chronic fatigue syndrome. I didn't know that was a thing -- I thought it was called "middle-aged with two kids".

The article suggested people with low blood volume need to take in more salt. This goes counter to a lot of the heart-healthy stuff we're told and the article made it a point NOT to do this if you have high blood pressure. The article also said to make sure to match it with a high water intake.

Left on my own, I normally eat a pretty bland diet.

So I figured I'd give this a shot. Dinner was pretty salty -- probably even overkill -- but I don't plan on doing that all the time.

Holy crap. I sincerely hope and pray this isn't a placebo effect but I started to feel good during the drive home. It felt like someone took a haze filter off the world -- things seemed more crisp and I felt more alert.

And tonight's workout was great. I hit a new post-injury PR on dumbbell bench press. When I wanted the extra rep, it was there. I was at the water fountain a lot, too.

I'm excited about this but scared it's just a coincidence and maybe some wishful thinking. I don't think enough time passed to make any real difference in blood volume. Maybe I just stumbled into fixing an electrolyte problem I didn't know I had.
 
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I don't know so much about adding salt, but it was suggested that I add either Himalayan salt or sea salt to my diet to help retain water so I am not dehydrated at the cellular level, as I drink a fair amount of water but still seem a bit dehydrated. So I dunno. I pass this along for whatever it's worth.
 
Interesting, I've never heard about that with low blood volume and salt.

Good luck, I hope it continues to work.

I'm on blood pressure meds so I guess it isn't an option for me.
 
Wow. Like the others, I've never heard of this connection. Your results are positive so I guess it will take some adjustments to see what the lowest intake is that still works.

More salt it is!
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I had bypass surgery two years ago and was told following surgery that I have to limit my sodium intake to 2300 mg per day. Sounds like quite a bit, but it's about a teaspoon. When you start carefully checking labels and become aware of the amount of sodium in prepared foods, especially pickles and peppers (my favorite things), You use up your limit pretty quickly.
 
GilmourD said:
@USian Pie, how goes being Mad Max: Beyond Salt Dome?
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Mixed. I'm trying to be sensitive to when I'm feeling unusually tired or weak. When it happens, I try to take in a little salt and a lot of water.

I had another time like the first where I took in some salt and water and had an amazing workout. It has not been a consistent thing, though.
 
ken said:
I don't know so much about adding salt, but it was suggested that I add either Himalayan salt or sea salt to my diet to help retain water so I am not dehydrated at the cellular level, as I drink a fair amount of water but still seem a bit dehydrated.
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There’s nothing wrong with using sea salt to get more flavor into food, but it’s not going to magically help you retain water any more than table salt. The benefits of sea salt are just one more lie from the con artists in the alternative medicine industry. Make sure you still use some iodized salt or you’ll get gout. Which the sea salt quacks will gladly sell you some other phony cure for.
 
jp_nyc said:
There’s nothing wrong with using sea salt to get more flavor into food, but it’s not going to magically help you retain water any more than table salt. The benefits of sea salt are just one more lie from the con artists in the alternative medicine industry. Make sure you still use some iodized salt or you’ll get gout. Which the sea salt quacks will gladly sell you some other phony cure for.
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Just be careful if you already have a thyroid issue. My wife and my mother have thyroid issues and iodized salt is actually bad for them.
 
There have been several studies published recently that do a very thorough job of debunking almost everything we've been told about salt intake being a contributing factor in things like hypertension and hardening of the arteries etc.

It seems we have been mislead for decades by what from all accounts, is junk science.

The reality of these studies showed no affirmable correlation between them.

So, this does not surprise me. It's quite possible that your doctor has been keeping up with these studies.

Salt is an absolutely vital ingredient for survival. While no one is suggesting we all start dumping salt all over everything we consume, the fact that we would die without it seems to indicate that its vilification was premature and not based on factual data.

Grab that salt shaker and make yourself some blood!
 
Well, it wasn't the doctor's suggestion. It was just something I tried after doing a little reading.

I'm not 100% sold but it's interesting. My normal diet is on the bland side so I have to make a conscious choice to do it. I'm certainly not recommending other people try it.
 
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