Salt-Handling

There are  many statements in the popular literature about uniquely human differences in salt handling, including suggestions of excessive salt loss in sweat, "salt-wasting' kidneys, a possible difference in aldosterone response to erect posture etc.  Many of these claims are not supported by well-documented studies, and require further analysis and investigation. It has been shown that captive chimpanzees on a high sodium diet do respond like humans, developing high blood pressure (Denton D et al. Nat Med. 1995 1:1009-16).   Human breast milk is also  low in sodium compared to other mammalian species. But, chimpanzees and gorillas also produce breast milk with low sodium (Buss, D.H. Mammary Glands and Lactation. In: Comparative reproduction of non-human primates. 1971).