S2E16: Dr. James DiNicolantonio - How Salt Intake Really Affects Blood Pressure, Using Electrolytes, The Best Salt to Use, and More

Dr. James DiNicolantonio, known as Dr. James DiNic for short, is a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. He’s also the author of best-selling books, The Salt Fix and Superfuel and he’s contributed extensively to health policy and has even testified in front of the Canadian Senate regarding the harms of added sugars.  

Dr. DiNicolantonio also serves as the Associate Editor of Nutrition and British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) Open Heart, a journal published in partnership with the British Cardiovascular Society, and he’s authored or coauthored roughly 200 publications in the medical literature.  He is also on the editorial advisory boards of several medical journals and he’s shared his expertise on The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, and international news media outlets.

Dr. James DiNic comes on the show to discuss whether a low-salt diet really improves blood pressure, what else you can do to combat or prevent high blood pressure, what happens when you switch to a low-salt diet, and more.

Dr. James DiNicolantonio also shares his journey and his aha moment, how to supplement with electrolytes, who they’re right for, and whether or not commercial sports drinks are really helping replenish electrolytes.

Here’s a peek at the topics Dr. DiNic and Chris Irvin, The Ketologist, get into:

00:00 Introduction to the Keto Answers podcast

00:29 Introduction to this episode’s guest, Dr. James DiNicolantonio

01:27 A brief overview of the topics discussed in this episode

02:26 Dr. DiNicolantonio’s story and how he found himself in this space

03:24 Where Dr. DiNicolantonio’s aha moment came from

05:02 What made leading experts think salt was the problem?

07:01 What happens when you switch to a low salt diet to improve your blood pressure?

11:15 Does a lack of key minerals drive insulin resistance? And, if so, what can be done about it?

13:50 What you can do to get your blood pressure down

18:48 If you’re taking blood pressure meds, how can you safely switch to a higher salt intake?

22:07 Important heart health markers to look at

25:35 How sodium affects other blood markers

29:35 What’s the best way to track sodium levels?

31:35 What’s the best way to replenish your sodium levels?

33:42 How to time your salt intake around exercise

40:43 Are mainstream sports drinks a good way to rehydrate and add in electrolytes?

43:00 Using glycine instead of glucose for rehydration

45:18 What is the best type of sodium to use? Should you avoid table salt?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. James DiNicolantonio’s website

Dr. DiNicolantonio’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel

Dr. DiNicolantonio’s books, The Salt Fix, The Immunity Fix, Superfuel, and The Longevity Solution

Vivoo at-home urine test strips

Diet Doctor resource

Perfect Keto Electrolytes