I Do Not Like Sodium

[EarlJam]

Sodium makes me feel all nasty and uptight inside. Think it's a hypertension thing.

Just had a meal with lots of soy sauce and now I feel like my head is about to explode.

No sir. I do not like sodium. Well, excess sodium. Excess sodium, therefore, must die.

-EarlJam

[Lavabe]

My favorite element is ARGON!

Yeah, Sodium stinks.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[TillyGalore]

EJ, drink some water to balance the sodium content in your system. TG

[DukieInKansas]

Add a bit of vinegar to the soy sauce. It lessens the sodium impact.

[EarlJam]

Add a bit of vinegar to the soy sauce. It lessens the sodium impact.

Fo shizzle?

Is it a "volume/dilute" thing or a "chemistry" thing?

Awesome.

-EarlJam

[DukieInKansas]

Fo shizzle?

Is it a "volume/dilute" thing or a "chemistry" thing?

Awesome.

-EarlJam

Something I picked up while living in Korea. It is probably more of a volume/dilute thing - 50/50 or so - but do it to taste.

[killerleft]

Don't really know about your soy sauce, but the monosodium glutemate (msg) used in a lot of chinese food can cause headaches and migraines. I had migraines when I was a teen. Stopped eating the LaChoy canned food and, presto, the migraines ceased! I had noticed that the migraines followed the LaChoy meals.

[EarlJam]

Don't really know about your soy sauce, but the monosodium glutemate (msg) used in a lot of chinese food can cause headaches and migraines. I had migraines when I was a teen. Stopped eating the LaChoy canned food and, presto, the migraines ceased! I had noticed that the migraines followed the LaChoy meals.

Interesting you mention that because now, about two hours after having a "Soy experience," I have a rather decent headache. No more soy sauce for me. Dang soy sauce.

-EarlJam

[DukieInKansas]

Typically, soy sauce doesn't have MSG in it. Usually, the MSG is in the dish. Some restaurants indicate that the dish is MSG-free or you can ask.

[killerleft]

I didn't eat Chinese for several years after. I think much less msg is used nowadays, thank goodness, although I checked the LaChoy lately and it was still in their chicken chow mein. And I really loved that stuff.

[mehmattski]

Don't really know about your soy sauce, but the monosodium glutemate (msg) used in a lot of chinese food can cause headaches and migraines. I had migraines when I was a teen. Stopped eating the LaChoy canned food and, presto, the migraines ceased! I had noticed that the migraines followed the LaChoy meals.

The Food and Drug Administration has never classified MSG as a significant health threat, and in fact has reviewed the chemical multiple times, and has always put MSG in the category "Generally Recognized as Safe." From the FDA website, GRAS designation means:

...as a reasonable certainty in the minds of competent scientists that the substance is not harmful under its intended conditions of use...

The fear of MSG seems almost entirely due to some anecdotal evidence from the 1970s, which has since been disputed. Only one respected scientific study has been done on MSG, and confirmed that in a very low percentage of individuals, minor discomforts were seen after taking very high (maybe 6 times as would be found in a typical Chinese dish) doses... but these symptoms did not last very long.

What is known about MSG is that it makes use of a significantly different proportion of taste buds than do other spices from the West. So while yummy, and safe, MSG has been given the short shaft also reserved for saccharin (which only causes cancer if you inject a lifetime supply in your veins every day).

[mehmattski]

EJ, drink some water to balance the sodium content in your system. TG

Heh... as a science nerd, this struck me as funny. That's because the "sodium" that Earl Jam is referring to is a sodium ion, usually paired with chloride or phosphate.

Actual, elemental, sodium reacts violently with water, producing a great deal of purple flames. Pretty much the coolest thing about any highschool chemistry class is this experiment. Potassium is even more violent (and has been involved in quite a few chemistry-teacher injuries).

So, if you have injested sodium, DON'T DRINK WATER! Of course, the sodium would have exploded upon contact with your saliva. But still, don't make it worse... :D

[EarlJam]

Heh... as a science nerd, this struck me as funny. That's because the "sodium" that Earl Jam is referring to is a sodium ion, usually paired with chloride or phosphate.

Actual, elemental, sodium reacts violently with water, producing a great deal of purple flames. Pretty much the coolest thing about any highschool chemistry class is this experiment. Potassium is even more violent (and has been involved in quite a few chemistry-teacher injuries).

So, if you have injested sodium, DON'T DRINK WATER! Of course, the sodium would have exploded upon contact with your saliva. But still, don't make it worse... :D

Too late. Oh. Oh the pain. Please help me. Oh dear god. If someone could please get me a narcotic, or something, that would be great. Oh golly darn.

Stop, drop, roll? Nope. Not working. Still hurts.

-EJ

[Lavabe]

Too late. Oh. Oh the pain. Please help me. Oh dear god. If someone could please get me a narcotic, or something, that would be great. Oh golly darn.

Stop, drop, roll? Nope. Not working. Still hurts.

-EJ

A Schlafly brew might work, but I'll defer to the chemists out there to determine what might happen.

Get well soon!
Cheers,
Lavabe

[throatybeard]

This isn't just a soy sauce thing: the amount of sodium Americans put in food is colossal.

My wife has Meineire's disease, an inner ear disorder that can cause hearing loss and vertigo. The main thing you have to do to combat it is cut out caffeine and cut out as much salt as possible. I say "as possible," because it's impossible to cut it out entirely and there's naturally occurring sodium in stuff. If you shoot for zero, you'll still end up with 500mg. Normal folks should shoot for less than 2000mg. Many of us eat several times that daily.

I eat her diet with her and so I've gotten used to a lack of completely unnecessary salt. She's learned to do a lot with Indian and Asian spices. So when i eat prepared food outside the home, I never ceased to be shocked by the obscene amounts of salt that are in things. There are a lot of hidden sources, especially bread/pastries and meat that's been injected with solution.

[greybeard]

Did you know: if you cut down too much on your sodium, and drink lots and lots and lots of water, you could die. So, you might have to suffer a bit, Earljam, just to be on the safe side because, you know you have a reputation here and it's not exactly one for acting in moderation.

My advise, eat the chow mein, msg and soy sauce and all, and put an ice pack on your head and dig your thumbs up under your eyelids (great for headaches, if nothing else, takes your mind off the pain), but not too much or your eyeballs will pop out. Everything in moderation, Earljam. Take a course.

[DevilAlumna]

Heh... as a science nerd, this struck me as funny. That's because the "sodium" that Earl Jam is referring to is a sodium ion, usually paired with chloride or phosphate.

Actual, elemental, sodium reacts violently with water, producing a great deal of purple flames. Pretty much the coolest thing about any highschool chemistry class is this experiment. Potassium is even more violent (and has been involved in quite a few chemistry-teacher injuries).


IIRC, as you go down that column in the periodic table, the reactions between the element and water get incredibly violent. We watched a movie in high school chemistry class that showed each element, from least to strongest reaction. I remember one element -- a small crumb put in a bathtub of water shattered the tub. My biggest takeaway? Cesium bath salts are out of the question.

EJ, it's the MSG that causes the headaches for me. And weirdly, certain chinese spices cause my jaw to nearly lock up for 2-10 seconds at a time. STill, I'd take that over a migraine. Have a cup of coffee.

[killerleft]

Upon further reflection, I have no proof that the MSG caused my migraines. But something in the canned chinese food did. It'd be hard to figure out which of the many ingredients was the culprit if it wasn't MSG.

[EarlJam]

I eat her diet with her and so I've gotten used to a lack of completely unnecessary salt. She's learned to do a lot with Indian and Asian spices.

Good call. I really have tried to moderate salt intake for years, as my blood pressure tends to run a bit high. I've found good salt substitutes to be the above, as well as:

-lemon juice
-vinegar
-dill spice

I was a Saltaholic growing up and now when I go back to visit mamma Jam, I'm amazed at how much salt she pours onto things.

-EJ

[prefan21]

This isn't just a soy sauce thing: the amount of sodium Americans put in food is colossal.

You aren't kidding. It's nearly impossible to have too little sodium while eating an American diet.

I'm a med student in Houston (the epicenter of healthy eating), and we'll frequently see patients with raging hypertension who ingest 5 times the recommended daily limit. It's not as hard as you'd think. "I salt all my food" is a good marker of high blood pressure before you even put on a cuff. I've cut down on a hell of a lot myself.

Another note: the "no salt" salt substitutes are a gimmick - they cause the same problems as sodium.