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- Dec 2, 2015
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Question:
If salt keeps water in the body, why do salt tablets make dehydration worse?
Hello, Can you please explain on your site when it says “Do not take salt tablets. Salt tablets make dehydration worse because they drain the water from your body.”
Answer:
by M.J.Mihalick, MD FACC
Texas Heart Institute.org
"The only good thing about salt tablets is that they are very poorly absorbed. This limits the damage they can do.
The definition of dehydration is the condition that results from the net loss of WATER. The concentration of sodium in our body fluids is closely regulated by the kidneys. In most cases, water is lost via perspiration and breathing. This fluid is HYPOTONIC meaning that the concentration of sodium in it is low compared to body fluids. To correct or prevent it, all that is needed is to take in more water. The small amount of sodium loss is easily replaced from a normal diet.
In hot, dry climates like Arizona, the normal kidney will adjust and water is all that is needed. When we become dehydrated, the sodium concentration in the body is already elevated. Adding salt (sodium) only aggravates the condition by forcing the kidneys to excrete more water in order to eliminate the extra salt."
...
More:
https://www.texasheart.org/heart-he...y-why-do-salt-tablets-make-dehydration-worse/
If salt keeps water in the body, why do salt tablets make dehydration worse?
Hello, Can you please explain on your site when it says “Do not take salt tablets. Salt tablets make dehydration worse because they drain the water from your body.”
Answer:
by M.J.Mihalick, MD FACC
Texas Heart Institute.org
"The only good thing about salt tablets is that they are very poorly absorbed. This limits the damage they can do.
The definition of dehydration is the condition that results from the net loss of WATER. The concentration of sodium in our body fluids is closely regulated by the kidneys. In most cases, water is lost via perspiration and breathing. This fluid is HYPOTONIC meaning that the concentration of sodium in it is low compared to body fluids. To correct or prevent it, all that is needed is to take in more water. The small amount of sodium loss is easily replaced from a normal diet.
In hot, dry climates like Arizona, the normal kidney will adjust and water is all that is needed. When we become dehydrated, the sodium concentration in the body is already elevated. Adding salt (sodium) only aggravates the condition by forcing the kidneys to excrete more water in order to eliminate the extra salt."
...
More:
https://www.texasheart.org/heart-he...y-why-do-salt-tablets-make-dehydration-worse/