The K factor

It seems foolish to argue that too much salt in the diet can worsen the affects of high blood pressure. Yet, in the face of a mountain of scientific medical evidence, the processed food industry continues rationalizing salt's over-use.

The processed food industry continues to use an arsenal of chemicals to produce food items whose ingredients lists look more like formulas for rocket fuel rather than healthy, natural food.

Scientists agree that our internal food processing [digestive] mechanisms are Paleolithic in origin. They evolved over thousands of years on natural, live whole foods without any added chemicals. These added chemicals, including too much salt, are profoundly mismatched to our natural food processing system.

Overlooked in the arguments with Cargill, Kraft et.al., is the"K" factor. K is the symbol for Potassium, Like other vital combinations in our internal environment, Potassium and Sodium [salt] go together like ham and eggs or beans and rice. When they are out of balance, like they are in a typical processed food, we begin to have health problems, high blood pressure being just one. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes which are always found in pairs. They function in the maintenance of water balance and distribution, acid-base balance, muscle and nerve cell function, heart function, and kidney and adrenal function.

Potassium and sodium together keep the balance and provide the body with the sodium-potassium "pump" which, among other things, get nutrients into the cells and waste out. According to noted Alternative Medicine doctor Michael T. Murray, " Most Americans have a potassium-to-sodium ratio of less than 1:2. This means that most people ingest twice as much sodium as they do potassium. Researchers recommend a dietary potassium-to-sodium ratio of 5:1 to maintain health.

Here is what you can do [I don't see agribusiness changing soon]:

1. Make fresh fruits and vegetables the core of your diet. They are naturally rich in potassium and light on sodium.

2. If you are a meat eater, eat free-range grass- feed animals. The same with chicken and eggs.

3. If you are thinking of taking a potassium supplement, check with your doctor or nurse practitioner first.

4. Read labels, especially for sodium and sodium-like chemicals.

Remember, we are "engineered" to eat natural "live" food from nature's bounty. 'Live" food has all the essential ingredients your trillions of cells need to function optimally. We can each live healthier and also fight these businesses who put profits before health.