What are your thoughts on the importance of the dietary sodium (particularly NaCl) / potassium ratio and why would a high NaCl intake (as per Peat's frequent advice) be safe when it's obvious it used to be much much lower in the diet while potassium was higher for most?
Actually, salt intake up until 1950s used to be 15g+ daily on average, which is about 2-3 times more than current daily intake. Extra salt was given as rations to soldiers during WWI and WWII and inadequate salt intake was considered a primary cause of disease. Sodium is not nearly as dangerous as potassium in higher doses because the body can adjust water balance to handle the excess sodium. Not so much with potassium, and sodium does not have the muscle paralyzing effects potassium has in higher doses.