The Sodium & Potassium Relationship

"High-salt diets cause excess sodium accumulation around the hair follicles, preventing the absorption of vital nutrients required for healthy hair. This, in turn causes hair loss. Increasing potassium intake will remove excess sodium and eliminate the potassium deficiency and resulting hair loss"

The Sodium & Potassium Relationship

Too much sodium STRIKES AGAIN!  Very interesting that I should come across this article when trying to research reasons and solutions for this stupid hair thinning that I've been experiencing.  I was recently given a blood test at my doctor that revealed that all my hormones were "in check", but I was potassium deficient and Vitamin D deficient.  My potassium levels were quit low.

I will admit, that my diet in the past few months has been less than......well it's been very bad.
No excuses......well, maybe just one....I have been really stressed out.  Okay, so I have no excuse to let my eating habits fall so badly, but now I am really concerned.  My blood levels are showing that this is more than likely a nutrition problem and it can be corrected just as easily by eating better (and maybe taking supplements).

So, after hearing this news, I began to change things around a bit.  I began taking a Vitamin D Supplement and eating more potassium rich foods (not tons, but more than before).  However, I was still wondering why my hair was still thinning after changing my diet to incorporate more potassium and vitamin D.

Then, coming across this article this evening, I think I may take a different approach and re-evaluate my eating habits again.  YES, I know that my normal intake of Sodium is horrible.  But little did I know that high-fat and high-sodium diets can very much cause hair thinning/loss (along with other horrible things).
I fear that I have been taking in WAY more sodium than my body is able to counteract because of my lack of potassium; ie. too much sodium, not enough potassium.

By increasing potassium in my diet and LOWERING THE SODIUM, I may can stop this hair thinning.  I have seen this on many other medical websites after I first saw this one.  CLICK HERE  

"High-salt diets cause excess sodium accumulation around the hair follicles, preventing the absorption of vital nutrients required for healthy hair. This, in turn causes hair loss. Increasing potassium intake will remove excess sodium and eliminate the potassium deficiency and resulting hair loss....The sodium-potassium pump in the kidneys allows potassium to replace sodium when ingested and therefore reduce or eliminate the problem of hair loss."

Doctor OZ, and other physicians, recommend 4,700 mg of Potassium daily.  Most people associate bananas with potassium.  Although they are a good source, they only contain 350-450 mg of potassium.  You would have to eat 10 bananas a day to get the potassium that you need.  So, I have compiled a list of other potassium rich foods.  I have found that my favorites include spinach and apricots.  I throw some spinach (1 cup) in with my eggs in the mornings and make a trail mix with lots of dried apricots.

I would love to know if anyone else has made this connection with high-sodium/low-potassium and it's effects.  

POTASSIUM LIST:  (From WebMD)

Other Lists:

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/10-high-potassium-foods.html#b

http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html

Actually Delicious SALT SUBSTITUTES

SALT Substitutes

Although I normally don't like to snack on salty things (I have more of a sweet-tooth), I do find that it is sometimes difficult to find creative and tasty salt replacements.  I recently discovered that NORI (dried seaweed) is ACTUALLY DELICIOUS.  I bought the roasted kind at Whole Foods for only $2.99 for about 4 large sheets.  It lasted me a while because I really only used it to sprinkle on my food such as salad and stir-fry and such.

Below are some other healthy and delicious substitutes that I've found.  I hope this helps anyone looking for a bit more creativeness and flavor in their low-sodium lifestyles.

Article about seaweed granules:  

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-future-salt-substitute-seaweed-granules-8783561.html?cat=51

Seaweed Granules

Sheffield Hallam University in the UK has been doing research on the possibility of using seaweed granules as a substitute to salt. The granules are produced by brown seaweed that is found in the cold waters of the UK and Norway. When the University checked the levels of microbes and other things that may pollute the seaweed, they concluded the seaweed was very clean.

Dr. Andrew Fairclough was the lead researcher on a project that is working jointly with Seagreans, a company interested in introducing seaweed granules into the everyday diet. Dr. Fairclough says, "This will change the food industry, undoubtedly."

Low on Sodium

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death throughout Europe and the United States. Health campaigns warn individuals that consuming too much salt can lead to heart disease, as well as hypertension.

One of the reasons too much salt can be devastating to a person is that sodium makes up 40% of its content. In comparison, seaweed granules only contain a 3.5% content level of sodium, making it a great salt substitute.

The Food Innovation Project is a study funded by the government in the UK. When they ran taste tests for seaweed granules in baked bread, they found that people couldn't tell when salt or seaweed was being used. 2 major supermarkets in the UK are now possibly working on including seaweed granules in shop-baked breads.

Seaweed granules also work well as a preservative, and could possibly substitute salt in that function. Salt is commonly found in meats, various sausages and cheese. One of the selling points of seaweed granules as a salt substitute is that it can eliminate food poisoning caused by bugs found in meat.

The research group in the UK made a statement that if its citizens minimized the amount of salt that they are consuming, it would result in 70,000 less strokes and heart attacks on a yearly basis.

Nutritious

Unlike salt, seaweed also happens to be extremely nutritious. Seaweed granules are loaded with micronutrients that can provide more balance to many people's diets. For those that are trying to lose weight or keep weight off, seaweed could also help people in that area. Consuming seaweed gives people a more full feeling. Experts say this could help combat the obesity epidemic found in many western countries.

Researchers say that seaweed, in the future, could also feed the world's population that continues to grow in leaps and bounds.

OTHER SUBSTITUTES:

Try the following homemade salt substitutes if you or someone you love must rely on a sodium-free diet. These homemade salt substitutes will bring out the flavors of the foods you love, and these homemade substitutes will do so without adding extra sodium to the diet.

Flavorful Salt Substitute (I have not tried this one)

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon powdered orange peel
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons celery seed
2 tablespoons onion powder
4-½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 ½ teaspoons citric acid powder
1 teaspoon ground dill weed
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon powdered lemon peel
½ teaspoon dried cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in an electric blender, and grind them until they turn into fine powder. Store this flavorful salt substitute in a spice container with appropriate size holes, and keep it tightly sealed in a dark, cool location. With this tasty blend, those on a salt-free diet won't miss regular table salt.

Spicy Salt Substitute (ACTUALLY DELICIOUS)

6 teaspoons onion powder
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons ground oregano
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Combine these ingredients in spice shaker, and store it in a cool dry location. Use it to enhance the flavor of foods in place of regular table salt.

Zesty Salt Substitute (ACTUALLY DELICIOUS)

3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons paprika
1 ½ tablespoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground dill

Place all ingredients in a blender, and grind them until they turn to fine powder. Place this zesty salt substitute in a spice shaker, and those who must eat salt-free foods can use it on their favorite fare to enhance the flavor without adding sodium to their diet.