Keto Food: Why The Salty Taste?

The keto diet is a high-fat, very low-carb diet that is one of the most popular weight loss plans. However, it can be tough to get right. One of the trickier aspects of the keto diet is understanding the importance of increasing salt intake. When the body shifts from burning carbohydrates to burning fat, it increases the amount of sodium in the metabolism and thus needs more salt. Sodium is an essential nutrient that helps regulate water retention and more. A decrease in insulin levels, which occurs when reducing carbohydrates, can also lead to higher sodium loss. This can result in keto flu, with symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness. To avoid these unpleasant side effects, it is recommended to increase salt intake by adding more salt to meals, drinking bone broth, or eating salted nuts.

Keto flu

The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they start a ketogenic diet. The symptoms can feel similar to the flu and are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates.

Symptoms

The symptoms of keto flu include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Sugar cravings
• Muscle soreness
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Poor focus and concentration

These symptoms are usually mild but can be severe in some cases. They typically last a few days but can persist for several weeks.

Causes

The exact cause of keto flu is not known, but it is believed to be related to a combination of factors, including:

• Carbohydrate withdrawal: The body is used to burning carbohydrates for energy, so when carbs are drastically reduced, it can cause withdrawal-like symptoms.
• Dehydration: The ketogenic diet can lead to rapid water loss, as glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates, binds to water in the body. When dietary carbs are reduced, glycogen levels drop, and water is excreted.
• Electrolyte imbalance: The keto diet can deplete the body's stores of electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium. Electrolytes are essential for nerve and muscle function, regulating blood pressure, and maintaining hydration.
• Insulin levels: The keto diet lowers insulin levels, which can further promote water loss. When insulin levels drop, the kidneys release more sodium and water.
• Gut microbiome changes: Some experts suggest that keto flu may be related to changes in the gut microbiome.

Prevention and Treatment

To prevent or reduce the symptoms of keto flu, the following strategies can be employed:

• Ease into the diet: Instead of abruptly cutting carbs, try tapering down your carbohydrate intake gradually.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to replace the fluids lost due to increased urination and diarrhea.
• Replace electrolytes: Increase your intake of salt, potassium, and magnesium. This can be done by salting your food, drinking bone broth, eating pickled foods, or taking electrolyte supplements.
• Get enough rest: Make sure you're getting enough sleep, as fatigue is a common symptom of keto flu. Create a relaxing bedtime routine and avoid oversleeping to normalize your sleep patterns.
• Avoid strenuous exercise: Give your body a rest during the initial transition period. Light activities like walking or yoga may help improve symptoms.
• Increase healthy fats: Ensure you're consuming enough healthy fats, as they are the primary fuel source on the ketogenic diet. This will also help reduce cravings for restricted foods.

Sodium's role in the body

Sodium is an essential mineral and electrolyte that the body needs to function properly. It is one of the body's electrolytes, which are minerals that the body needs in relatively large amounts. Electrolytes carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids such as blood.

Sodium helps the body maintain fluid balance and plays a key role in normal nerve and muscle function. It achieves this by working in tandem with potassium to maintain normal water balance in the body. Each of these minerals chemically attracts water to itself, thus ensuring that optimal levels of hydration are maintained both inside human cells and outside the cells, in the extracellular spaces that surround them.

Sodium also plays a role in controlling your body's blood volume and, thus, blood pressure. The body continually monitors blood volume and sodium concentration. When either becomes too high, sensors in the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys detect the increases and stimulate the kidneys to increase sodium excretion, thus returning blood volume to normal. When blood volume or sodium concentration becomes too low, the sensors trigger mechanisms to increase blood volume.

Sodium enters the body through food and drink and leaves the body primarily in sweat and urine. Healthy kidneys maintain a consistent level of sodium in the body by adjusting the amount excreted in the urine.

Electrolyte imbalances

When you switch to a ketogenic diet, your body loses stored electrolytes, including sodium. Sodium is an essential mineral that is needed for regulating water retention and more. Sodium is usually abundant in the standard American diet, but sodium consumption is naturally decreased on a keto diet. This is because keto eliminates packaged products with a high sodium content. As a result, sodium levels often drop, which can lead to unpleasant side effects.

The Role of Electrolytes

Electrolytes are chemicals that facilitate nerve and muscle function, regulate blood pressure, balance the amount of water in the body, stabilize the pH (base/acid) level of the body, and help rebuild damaged tissues. Sodium and potassium, in particular, are two electrolytes that help our bodies stay hydrated.

The Effects of Electrolyte Imbalances

We obtain electrolytes from the foods, fluids, and supplements we consume. When we consume too little or too much of them, we can experience side effects. Electrolyte imbalances may occur when we lose fluids (via sweat, urination, vomiting, or diarrhea), not drinking or eating enough, and due to certain medications or certain heart, kidney, and liver disorders.

The side effects of electrolyte imbalances include:

• Respiratory problems
• Seizures
• In some cases, extremely low levels of sodium can induce comas or even death (a condition called hyponatremia)

Keto Flu

The initial transition into ketosis often comes with a number of uncomfortable physical side effects, which have been referred to as the "keto flu". These side effects usually occur and peak within the first 3-5 days after starting a ketogenic diet or if you become dehydrated and/or lose a lot of electrolytes while in ketosis. Keto flu symptoms usually include fatigue, brain fog, nausea, constipation, irritability, difficulty sleeping, sugar cravings, and muscle soreness. These are all signs that you should increase your water and sodium intake.

One of the main reasons people experience these symptoms is due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This is usually due to a loss of too many fluids. Ketosis causes more frequent urination, which means that the body's stores of water and electrolytes get depleted more easily. Restricting carbs from the keto diet also lowers insulin levels, which can further promote water loss. When insulin levels drop, the kidneys react by excreting more sodium and water. If sodium and water levels are not replenished, you can experience the symptoms of keto flu.

Preventing Electrolyte Imbalances

To prevent electrolyte imbalances while on a keto diet, it is important to increase your sodium intake. Here are some ways to do this:

• Drink 1 or more cups of salty bone broth every day
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to daily meal preparations
• Eat pickled foods such as olives, pickles, and sauerkraut
• Choose standard rather than "low-sodium" sauces and seasonings for cooking
• Shake some salt into a glass of water a couple of times a day

How to consume sodium properly

The keto diet is a high-fat, very low-carb diet that is popular for weight loss. It involves a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat instead of carbs, potentially accelerating weight loss. However, it can be tough to get right, and one of the common pitfalls is not salting your food enough.

Why More Sodium is Needed on a Keto Diet

When you switch to ketosis, your body loses stored electrolytes, including sodium. Sodium is needed for regulating water retention and nerve cell communication, and it helps our bodies stay hydrated.

On a keto diet, sodium consumption is naturally decreased as it cuts out processed foods, which are a major source of sodium on a standard American diet. As a result, sodium levels often drop, which can lead to the "keto flu" and its symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, nausea, and dizziness.

How to Consume More Sodium Properly

• Drink one or more cups of salty bone broth every day.
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to your daily meal preparations.
• Eat pickled foods such as olives, pickles, and sauerkraut.
• Choose standard, not "low-sodium," sauces and seasonings for cooking.
• Drink a glass of water with some salt and lemon or lime juice added, a couple of times a day.
• Eat more salted foods and food products such as sausages, salted nuts, and some canned goods.
• Consume two to four grams (2000-40000 mg) of sodium per day, which is the recommended amount for those on a keto diet.

Types of Salt

There are also healthier and less processed types of salt that you can choose:

• Pink Himalayan Salt, which contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other beneficial minerals.
• Iodized Salt, which contains iodine that is good for thyroid health.
• Kosher Salt, which is similar to regular table salt but with a larger flake size, giving it a different texture and more intense flavor.
• Dulse or Dulse Salt, which is a type of seaweed containing sodium, calcium, potassium, and iron.

Other Electrolytes

It is also important to maintain the right balance of electrolytes, as sodium and potassium work together. You can increase your potassium intake on a keto diet with foods like avocado and leafy greens.

Sodium and insulin

Sodium is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in regulating water retention, nerve cell communication, and muscle tissue function. When following a ketogenic diet, it is common to experience a decrease in sodium levels, as the body loses stored electrolytes during the transition to ketosis. This can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness, commonly referred to as the "keto flu."

The link between sodium and insulin:

Restricting carbohydrates on a keto diet leads to lower insulin levels, which can further promote water loss. When insulin levels drop, the kidneys react by excreting more sodium and water. This loss of fluids and electrolytes can result in dehydration, which is a contributing factor to the keto flu.

How to manage sodium intake on a keto diet:

• Increase salt intake by adding more salt to meals and drinking bone broth.
• Consume salted foods such as sausages, nuts, and some canned goods.
• Choose standard sauces and seasonings instead of "low-sodium" options.
• Drink water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and add a shake of salt.

The bottom line:

While sodium is often vilified, it is crucial for overall health and can help alleviate the negative side effects of the keto flu when entering ketosis. However, it is important to note that excessive sodium intake is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, so it is essential to monitor your sodium consumption and maintain a healthy balance.

Frequently asked questions