I think we can all agree that everything tastes better with a bit of salt on it right?

However, growing up, I'm sure you've heard one too many times that salt can be bad & lead to things like hypertension, high blood pressure, water retention, and even kidney issues down the line. While that may be true in severe cases where the body is incapable of regulating its levels of hydration, sodium is not bad for us and, in fact, extremely important for more than just making things taste good.

Sodium is considered the main mineral of solubility, right next to potassium, meaning it helps dissolve compounds made up of minerals and is found extracellularly (outside of the cell). This is important to note, for when we look to our Na:K ratio on an HTMA, we are peeking into how well the electrical charge is within the cell membrane. This ratio is recognized as the "vitality ratio" or even "life and death ratio", for when it is elevated, it is associated with a lot of inflammation & acute stress, where as if low, the body is in a state of extreme exhaustion and chronic stress. 

This brings us to one of the most important functions of sodium, & that is the role it plays within the adrenals. This mineral is regulated by the stress response our adrenals give out and offers us an understanding on what type of state of stress our body is under as mentioned above. 

Sodium's role with the adrenals is a reflection of the resiliency & capability of secreting stress hormones- particularly aldosterone. When the body is under an acute stress, sodium is retained as a result of elevated aldosterone levels. The reason for this is because retaining sodium helps us retain hydration, & we need adequate fluid in order to get through a stress and/or danger

Furthermore, it's also an alkalizing mineral helping the body exchange nutrients between blood and interstitial fluid, regulating pH levels, and even producing stomach acidity as sodium chloride can be transformed into hydrochloric acid. 

Sodium doesn't just work alone, it is closely connected with other minerals in the body.

Calcium
Calcium and sodium are antagonistic to each other meaning if one goes up, the other ones goes down and vice versa. Sodium actually keeps calcium in solution and helps prevent an accumulation of calcium from ocurring within the tissues.

Magnesium
Just like calcium, magnesium antagonizes sodium as well, but in a different manner. When looking to an HTMA, there is a specific ratio recognized as the Na/Mg ratio, also known as the adrenal ratio. We all know for magnesium to be a relaxing mineral, whereas sodium is more stimulatory.

Potassium
This is an interesting one because potassium can both antagonize and synergize sodium depending on one's metabolic rate.
Depending on the state of one's metabolism, it will reflect how the body uses energy and if it even has enough energy to properly utilize the mineral itself. If one is a slow oxidizer, potassium should help raise sodium, and if one is a fast oxidizer, potassium should lower sodium. 

Vitamin C
The adrenal glands work off of three main nutrients: sodium, potassium and vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C is great for the immune system collagen production, energy and more, but it also helps regulate stress from the adrenal glands & support optimal sodium levels by regulating the stress response. 

As a recap, sodium is the main solvent within the body, meaning it helps dissolve & keep things in solution, particularly specific minerals that produce an electrical charge of an effect within the cells. If our cells cannot be influenced by the minerals themselves, then they have no sense of direction or instruction.... 

Minerals=Cellular electricity

So stop skipping the salt, make sure your salt is high quality & for an added bonus, run an Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis to see how you can optimize your minerals and your health.

Not medical advice. Always consult a trusted doctor and present well-rounded information.