Re: Help me understand relationship between Potassium and Sodium
HI!
Onwards I think Rick likes to work with the ratios to try and get them as close as possible and to work his way to healing them. Atleast this is what I am seeing with working with him since February. I think he does it this way so they come closer together then farther apart when he recommends the supplements on the ratios.
Here is the description from ARL ratios:
Sodium/potassium(Na/k ratio)
Referred to as the life-death ratio because it is so critical
Related to the sodium pump mechanism, and the electrical potential of cells which is regulated by sodium and potassium levels
Sodium is normally extracellular, while potassium is normally intracellular. If the ratio of these minerals is unbalanced, it indicates important physiological malfunctions within the cells.
The sodium/potassium ratio is intimately related to kidney, liver and adrenal gland function, and an imbalanced sodium/potassium ratio is associated with heart, kidney, liver, and immune deficiency diseases.
The sodium/potassium ratio is intimately linked to adrenal gland function, and the balance between aldosterone (mineralocorticoid) and cortisone (glucocorticoid) secretion.
Trends Associated with Sodium/Potassium Ratio:
Ratio: Trend:
6.+ Severe elevation - inflammation and adrenal imbalance. High ratio can also be associated with asthma, allergies, kidney and liver problems. A high sodium/potassium ratio is considered preferable to a low sodium/potassium ratio.
4 - 6 Moderate elevation - tendency towards inflammation
2.5 - 4 Mild elevation - good adrenal function
2.5 IDEAL
2 - 2.5 Mild inversion - beginning of adrenal exhaustion
1 - 2 Moderate inversion - kidney and liver dysfunction, allergies, arthritis, adrenal exhaustion, digestive problems, deficiency of hydrochloric acid.
Below 1 Severe inversion - tendency towards heart attack, cancer, arthritis, kidney and liver disorders.
Factors which may Modify the Interpretation of the Ratio:
Mercury or cadmium toxicity, or an elimination of these metals can affect the sodium/potassium ratio.
Sometimes a sodium/potassium ratio will be worse on a retest, but the patient feels better. This is because some other mineral or mineral ratio on the chart has improved, such as the elimination of cadmium or copper, or normalization of another ratio. The elimination of a heavy toxic metal is the most common cause of a sodium/potassium inversion, on a retest chart.
Occasionally a sodium or potassium loss can occur.
http://www.arltma.com/Articles/RatiosDoc.htm
I know for me before dumping aluminum I could not eat or take postsassium or it would push the sodium out of my cells. No more issues with that :)
Hope this info halped.
Marie