Amazoniac
Member
From Gerson's book:
"Bunge conducted several experiments in 1901 on the need for salt. He found a small demand for salt in animals which eat a lot of meat, whereas he discovered the demand much greater in those living on vegetation. He believed that the same relationship was to be found among human beings. He found that the population of cities, in which larger quantities of meat were eaten, consumed one-third of the quantity of salt used by-the mainly vegetarian rural population. Similarly, he found little demand for salt among the meat-eating nomads. On the other hand, the salt demand among agricultural negroes was so great that, in some tribes, salt actually had barter value.
From his own experiments, Bunge gathered that the body eliminates large quantities of salt if it consumes much potassium, such as found in large quantities in vegetarian nutrition. (His classical experiment in 1901, however, is not indisputable theory, although its conclusions are correct.)
Abderhalden shared Bunge's views as to the reasons for the increased demand for salt among Vegetarian tribes: The higher potassium content of nutrition leads to increased elimination of sodium and, therefore, causes an increased demand for salt."
"Arguments against a "saltless" diet ("saltless" means without addition of salt to food) were enumerated by Wolff-Eisner[144] approximately as follows:
In a nutrition rich in vegetables, the body requires the addition of salt, as this does not occur in sufficient quantities in the food "as the only salt." As the potassium carbonate of vegetables combines in the organism with chloride and sodium to form sodium chloride and sodium carbonate, it causes the elimination of chloride and sodium. This means that sodium as well as chloride must be given to the body to make up this loss--hence the addition of salt!
In this work, Wolff-Eisner quotes the well-known experiments of Bunge, who asserted that regular partaking of potatoes, which contain 31-42 times more potassium than sodium, is possible only if NaCl is added to this food.
In the same work, strangely enough, it is mentioned that a) apples contain even 100 times more potassium than sodium, yet one may consume large quantities of apples--one may even have exclusive apple days--without the addition of NaCI.[*] b) According to general opinion, the hydrochloric acid of the stomach is dependent on the body's salt intake. Therefore, if the intake of salt is missing, the formation of hydrochloric acid must decrease, which would affect appetite, digestion, etc. for "lack of salt inhibits production of hydrochloric acid." c) Finally, WolffEisner remarks that the sweat of tubercular patients contains up to one per cent salt, so that perspiration deprives the body of salt.[145] d) Furthermore, it is said that the kidneys regulate the body's ionic state; in fever and in the majority of infectious diseases, the salt content of the urine is diminished, even if the patients are given salt. (Consequently, it is argued, there is no need to regulate the intake of salt, if the kidneys are healthy, as the kidneys regulate the elimination of salt anyway. Since, according to Roth-Koevesti, even diseased kidneys are capable of eliminating five grams of salt in a liter of urine, the intake of five grams of salt is unobjectionable for such kidneys.)"
*I have always wondered why fructose eliminates the craving for salt in a meal
"[..]if the elimination of NaCl from the body's salt resources is furthered by vegetarian nutrition, it is precisely that which my diet wants to achieve. The more salt is eliminated by it, the more effective the diet is in some respects. It appears to us that it would be equally inexpedient to replace the decreased sodium and chloride, which we desire, by the feeding of salt, as it would be inexpedient to make up increased elimination of sugar in the urine of diabetics by increasing sugar intake." [: idi]
"The fact that diseased kidneys are still capable of eliminating five grams of NaCl per liter of urine has no particular meaning for our problem regarding the quantity of salt intake. Nevertheless, the chloride ion deserves a special position among the stances to be concentrated by the kidneys. While the kidneys are capable of increasing concentration of uric substance 40-80 times, uric acid 25-50 times; sugar (in diabetes) 30-50 times over their concentrations in the plasma, chloride concentration can be increased only two to five times.[150] For the past 40 years, practical experience was gathered about the effects of salt limitation upon diseases of kidneys. It was shown just here that radical limitation of salt intake, in the sense of Straus' "strict form" (with less than 2.5 g of NaCl per day) or the "third degree" of Noorden (with 1.5-3 g of NaCl per day) which corresponds to the usual saltless nutrition, decreases the burden on the diseased kidneys. "As soon as the diseased kidneys are not over-irritated and over-burdened by the excessive intake of chlorides in nutrition, they recover in an amazingly short time and ... Eliminate more NaCl on a saltless diet than on the previously salt-rich diet!"[151]"
"Therefore, we cannot as yet make any definite statements about the roles of chloride and sodium--both individually--as well as in their combination in NaCl and in other combinations. We must be content by establishing certain relationships and conditions in a healthy or a sick body."
"The main task of the saltless diet is to eliminate the retained Na, Cl, H20, together with toxins and poisons from the tissues all over the body."
"Bunge conducted several experiments in 1901 on the need for salt. He found a small demand for salt in animals which eat a lot of meat, whereas he discovered the demand much greater in those living on vegetation. He believed that the same relationship was to be found among human beings. He found that the population of cities, in which larger quantities of meat were eaten, consumed one-third of the quantity of salt used by-the mainly vegetarian rural population. Similarly, he found little demand for salt among the meat-eating nomads. On the other hand, the salt demand among agricultural negroes was so great that, in some tribes, salt actually had barter value.
From his own experiments, Bunge gathered that the body eliminates large quantities of salt if it consumes much potassium, such as found in large quantities in vegetarian nutrition. (His classical experiment in 1901, however, is not indisputable theory, although its conclusions are correct.)
Abderhalden shared Bunge's views as to the reasons for the increased demand for salt among Vegetarian tribes: The higher potassium content of nutrition leads to increased elimination of sodium and, therefore, causes an increased demand for salt."
"Arguments against a "saltless" diet ("saltless" means without addition of salt to food) were enumerated by Wolff-Eisner[144] approximately as follows:
In a nutrition rich in vegetables, the body requires the addition of salt, as this does not occur in sufficient quantities in the food "as the only salt." As the potassium carbonate of vegetables combines in the organism with chloride and sodium to form sodium chloride and sodium carbonate, it causes the elimination of chloride and sodium. This means that sodium as well as chloride must be given to the body to make up this loss--hence the addition of salt!
In this work, Wolff-Eisner quotes the well-known experiments of Bunge, who asserted that regular partaking of potatoes, which contain 31-42 times more potassium than sodium, is possible only if NaCl is added to this food.
In the same work, strangely enough, it is mentioned that a) apples contain even 100 times more potassium than sodium, yet one may consume large quantities of apples--one may even have exclusive apple days--without the addition of NaCI.[*] b) According to general opinion, the hydrochloric acid of the stomach is dependent on the body's salt intake. Therefore, if the intake of salt is missing, the formation of hydrochloric acid must decrease, which would affect appetite, digestion, etc. for "lack of salt inhibits production of hydrochloric acid." c) Finally, WolffEisner remarks that the sweat of tubercular patients contains up to one per cent salt, so that perspiration deprives the body of salt.[145] d) Furthermore, it is said that the kidneys regulate the body's ionic state; in fever and in the majority of infectious diseases, the salt content of the urine is diminished, even if the patients are given salt. (Consequently, it is argued, there is no need to regulate the intake of salt, if the kidneys are healthy, as the kidneys regulate the elimination of salt anyway. Since, according to Roth-Koevesti, even diseased kidneys are capable of eliminating five grams of salt in a liter of urine, the intake of five grams of salt is unobjectionable for such kidneys.)"
*I have always wondered why fructose eliminates the craving for salt in a meal
"[..]if the elimination of NaCl from the body's salt resources is furthered by vegetarian nutrition, it is precisely that which my diet wants to achieve. The more salt is eliminated by it, the more effective the diet is in some respects. It appears to us that it would be equally inexpedient to replace the decreased sodium and chloride, which we desire, by the feeding of salt, as it would be inexpedient to make up increased elimination of sugar in the urine of diabetics by increasing sugar intake." [: idi]
"The fact that diseased kidneys are still capable of eliminating five grams of NaCl per liter of urine has no particular meaning for our problem regarding the quantity of salt intake. Nevertheless, the chloride ion deserves a special position among the stances to be concentrated by the kidneys. While the kidneys are capable of increasing concentration of uric substance 40-80 times, uric acid 25-50 times; sugar (in diabetes) 30-50 times over their concentrations in the plasma, chloride concentration can be increased only two to five times.[150] For the past 40 years, practical experience was gathered about the effects of salt limitation upon diseases of kidneys. It was shown just here that radical limitation of salt intake, in the sense of Straus' "strict form" (with less than 2.5 g of NaCl per day) or the "third degree" of Noorden (with 1.5-3 g of NaCl per day) which corresponds to the usual saltless nutrition, decreases the burden on the diseased kidneys. "As soon as the diseased kidneys are not over-irritated and over-burdened by the excessive intake of chlorides in nutrition, they recover in an amazingly short time and ... Eliminate more NaCl on a saltless diet than on the previously salt-rich diet!"[151]"
"Therefore, we cannot as yet make any definite statements about the roles of chloride and sodium--both individually--as well as in their combination in NaCl and in other combinations. We must be content by establishing certain relationships and conditions in a healthy or a sick body."
"The main task of the saltless diet is to eliminate the retained Na, Cl, H20, together with toxins and poisons from the tissues all over the body."
It is argued with the advent of cooking and meat came larger brain size. 
