Salt Intake In Tropical Climates

[duchovny]

I'm not a big salt eater, but i sweat a lot when I'm in SE Asia.

Should i be increasing my salt intake to compensate for this?

I sometimes take those satchels of electrolytes. They seem to be good.

[kennkate]

I would like to know as well

I do understand that salt Increases Blood Presure so I do try to limit my intake

When I was younger I did serve with the Uk Forces in Kenya and the Gulf.

Salt tablets were placed in the mess to combat the loss.

Maybe not today, I don't know Good or bad. Need A medical Person to come back.

[mark5335]

I drink 1 or 2 bottle of Lipovitan each week to replace electrolytes lost due to the tropical heat. If I fail do this I will usually get muscles cramps in my legs and face.

[Ulysses G.]

When I was younger I did serve with the Uk Forces in Kenya and the Gulf.

Salt tablets were placed in the mess to combat the loss.

Maybe not today, I don't know

The U.S. Military stopped doing that decades ago.

If you are really worried, just drink fresh coconut water every day (one coconut is plenty). It is cheap, delicious and better for you than any of those electrolyte drinks.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Sheryl]

Although the kidneys quickly adjust by conserving more sodium, loss may be a problem when newly arrived in this climate or after anything that provokes an unusually high level of sweating.

Such losses will be not just of salt (sodium chloride) but also of potassium and water.

The best replacements are those which supply ample water along with sodium and potassium in concentrations similiar to that in the body. Sports drinks and rehydration sachets do this, but so do green coconuts and the Thai-style orange and lemon juice drinks you get at street stalls, which come with a dash of salt -- good science!

For that matter the electrolyte composition of coke and pepsi is pretty good, although the stuff is of course hard on the stomach lining.

I would recommend any of these over salt tablets or increasing the amount of salt in your food. It would be particularly unwise to replace salt without fully replacing the fluids.

Rx: plenty of fluids in whatever form you prefer but make sure at least some of it is electrolyte balanced i.e. not all pure water, although lots of water alternating with coconut/lime or orange juice/sports drink or whatever is fine.