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by phaemon 1747 days ago
By "balanced electrolyte consumption" you mean chemicals such as sodium, right? I'll give you a moment to think about that...
3 comments

I think the point they were making is that salt when paired with adequate hydration (and offsetting losses from sweating etc.) isn't as obvious an issue.

As always, balance is key. Mediterranean diets aren't skimping on salt but the populations are (relatively) sweating often and taking hydration seriously due to the climate.

If you have an active lifestyle, it sounds reasonable that your salt tolerance could be higher (I'm not a medical professional).

Not just sweating, but eating generally healthy foods that contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.
Sodium is just one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte#Physiological_impo...

The average intake for people in the US for magnesium, potassium, and calcium is well below DRI.

https://www.nature.com/articles/1001955

More support/info:

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfession...

Track your food (myfitnesspal/cronometer/etc) with a cheap gram scale and ensure you are meeting the daily recommended requirements for vitamins and minerals. Plain potatoes are a great source of magnesium and potassium, and are pretty low calorie/healthy if you don't put junk on them, but there are plenty of other foods as well.

Balance is within a range, nobody is saying it’s ok to drink sea water to stay hydrated. But, otherwise healthy adults can safely consume a lot more salt than people with kidney issues.

It’s largely self regulating as people naturally avoid extreme amounts of salt. Even just gargling salt water is unpleasant.