Re: Re: Fat, SFA, EFA, Chol, and the USDA... SALT again

[Guest guest]

I can vouch for low sodium causing cramping. Experimenting with very low levels like 200 mg in Texas. But I also noticed that I don't sweat near as much being acclimated to 98deg and using a low fat diet. I just don't get near as hot.

Recognize there are people who work outdoors every day in Texas heat and don't have a problem. However, if you're like a Marine marching 30 miles in an day with a pack, you will need water for cooling and MAYBE some sodium.

I think potassium had more to do with cramping than anything else, however. I treated it with gatorade - sucrose and a little sodium and that worked for me.

My biggest problem with the RDA for sodium is that people usually think it's OK to do 2 or 3 TIMES the RDA, when in fact the RDA IS the maximum required. It's an average of requirement of a group of people to which is ADDED 2 or 3 standard deviations to get a number that covers ALL.

So RDA's are MAX numbers if you believe the stats.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: Rodney

Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 11:26 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: Fat, SFA, EFA, Chol, and the USDA... SALT again

Hi folks:Didn't we have a discussion here some time ago, that cramps have different causes in different individuals? For some, higher salt intake solves the problem. For others it doesn't.I seem to remember that vitamin D was reported to be effective for some people. How many people in more northerly locations notice they get more cramp in March/April, when their D reserves have been depleted, than in September/October, when sunlight has restored their supply?From many accounts vitamin D is something you certainly do not want to have a deficiency of.Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Where are the cramps? (ex. side stitch from running? calf cramps? feet

& hands?) Do they happen only at night? Presumably, you are not referring

to RLS (restless leg syndrome - night time twitch)

wrote:

I've posted about this before, and once again

this is my personal anecdotal experience.

I find that since I consume zero processed foods

and don't routinely add salt to recipes I have encountered side effects

due to consuming too little. In my case the side effect was cramping which

I've been able to manage by mixing a few grams of salt into a glass of water

every other day or so. I often forget and am reminded by the onset of cramping.