What about salt? In western society salt is considered unhealthy and to be kept to a minimum . Many people are on low salt diets these days. However, the latest research now shows that it is very important to eat an adequate amount of salt. Some studies indicate that the explosion of gluten intolerance and celiac is related to a low sodium diet because lack of sodium affects absorption of nutrients and gut health! But salt must be a good quality salt: not the regular, synthetic table salt. It should be natural sea salt. Iodine is important but not necessarily do we need iodized salt. Iodine can be derived from other sources like seaweed, egg yolks etc. Iodized salt is not healthy unless it is a good quality sea salt. The regular iodized table salt is not at all good quality. Iodine is necessary in small amounts for healthy thyroid function. In Japan, people have less thyroid issues because they consume a lot of seaweed which gives a good amount of healthy iodine.
The thing about salt is that it needs to be balanced with potassium. If we over eat salt and under eat potassium, that creates an imbalance which can also cause too much acidity in the body etc. So again, it is all about balance. Salt is necessary, but so is potassium . Potassium rich foods are bananas , potatoes, oranges, prunes etc. If you consume a lot of salt, definitely increase potassium rich foods in your diet.
We also need a proper amount of magnesium. Potassium and magnesium work together. Foods rich in magnesium are dark leafy greens, avocados, chocolate etc. Balancing our foods to make sure we have the right balance of minerals is very important to keep the body functioning properly. Seaweed is high in certain minerals and therefore adding some to the diet can be beneficial.
People think that only calcium is needed to combat osteoporosis but that is not correct: it needs to be balanced with magnesium and potassium. The best strategy is a balanced diet. In America, people often eat too much meat and protein and not enough fruits and vegetables. When there is proper balance, our bodies are not overly acidic and stay healthier. And actually, if we eat an acidic food, it can sometimes cause a reaction such as heart burn, but it does not mean our bodies are too acidic: it means that food causes a negative reaction in the body or upper digestive system. At the same time, sometimes we think a food is too acidic, but really we are lacking enough acidity in our stomachs to process the food adequately. Digestion is a complex mechanism.
If our bodies consume foods that are too acidic, that can cause problems such as arthritis, stomach issues, and some people claim even osteoporosis. However, the blood does keep its PH balance automatically in healthy people so most people are not really too acidic, even though many companies or holistic doctors like to promote alkaline water: none of that is necessary and can in fact be dangerous. There have been people who consumed too much alkaline water and their kidneys shut down, thinking the body was alkaline enough, because the kidneys are what keeps the body balanced properly and not to become too acidic. But keeping a balance between acidic foods and alkaline foods can help for good digestion: that is why we balance proteins with salads or vegetables; or we balance yogurt with alkaline fruits etc.