Recently, the news of “low sodium salt is a life-saving salt” spread through the circle of friends, the main content of which is: “The number of hyperkalemia in the emergency room is increasing, and when we ask about the medical history, many people are consuming low sodium salt, and low sodium salt is high potassium salt, which is a life-saving salt.” So, is “low sodium salt” really a “life-saving salt”? How to consume the necessary daily salt in a healthy way? Low sodium salt varies from person to person The so-called low sodium salt is made of iodized salt with a certain amount of potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate to improve the balance of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+) and magnesium (Mg2+) in the body, which is also called low sodium and high potassium salt. Compared with ordinary salt, it replaces part of the sodium with potassium, thus reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake to a certain extent. What are the effects of such salt on the body when consumed for a long time? The Chinese Dietary Guidelines advocate that the daily salt intake should be less than 6 grams, but the average daily salt intake is now around 12 grams. According to this standard, people mostly eat salty, and eat more meat and less vegetables, and many packaged foods also contain hidden salt. This makes the sodium intake higher than the normal requirement, which leads to hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. From this perspective, low sodium salt is indeed a healthy salt and can help maintain the body’s sodium-potassium balance. Not everyone is suitable for consuming low sodium salt. “Low sodium salt is not suitable for people with severe renal insufficiency such as uremic patients, or for people taking certain drugs that affect potassium metabolism.” Kidney patients, especially those with urinary dysfunction, if more potassium cannot be excreted effectively, the accumulation in the body can cause hyperkalemia, which can easily lead to cardiac arrhythmia and even cardiac arrest and endanger life. In addition, patients with hyperkalemia should not consume low sodium salt. Strenuous exercise, infections, large burns, trauma, acidosis, tumors treated with high doses of chemotherapy, and persistent epilepsy also tend to cause hyperkalemia due to the large amount of intracellular potassium released into the bloodstream and increased potassium intake. How to choose from a wide range of salt products The salt shelves of major supermarkets in the city are full of iodized salt, non-iodized salt, low sodium salt and well salt. “There are many different kinds of salt. “The original has been eating low sodium salt, said to be good for people with high blood pressure, and now the Internet says it is not good, I really do not know what to eat.” . In addition to low sodium salt, there are other types of salt that many people are torn between, such as “iodized salt” and “non-iodized salt”. So, should it be a low iodine diet or a high iodine diet? The thyroid gland is a victim of both low iodine and high iodine diets, which can cause thyroid disease, but the type of thyroid disease is different. “Lack of iodine in food can lead to enlargement of the thyroid gland, and over time, thyroid nodules can develop. With the popularization of iodized salt, thyroid nodules due to iodine deficiency have been greatly reduced, but excessive iodine intake can also increase the occurrence of thyroid nodules.” Food in coastal cities is rich in iodine, and seafood, eggs, milk and meat are rich in iodine, so it is best for people not to use extra iodized salt as long as they eat normally. For people who are already suffering from thyroid nodules, they should consult their doctor and then adjust their diet structure due to their individual condition. Controlling the total amount of sodium intake is the key The introduction of low sodium salt seems to have solved the worries of salt consumption for people with hypertension. However, the sodium content of low sodium salt has been reduced and the taste has become lighter. People often need to add more low sodium salt when cooking to get the same taste as regular salt. Some people think it doesn’t matter how much low sodium salt is used, but the taste is heavier than before. In this way, the sodium is not reduced, but the potassium content is increased. For some hypertensive patients, not only does not play a role in controlling blood pressure, but also may lead to an increase in blood pressure. In fact, the real impact on health is the total daily intake of sodium. Our dietary guidelines advocate that the daily salt intake should be less than 6 grams, therefore, control the taste, choose fresh and diverse light diet, is the fundamental to protect health. Especially for patients with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, even the use of low sodium salt should be moderate, and it is best to maintain the same amount as the amount of ordinary salt in order to achieve the effect of blood pressure control.