Margarine I can understand, but aspartame is likely the most rigorously studied food additive of all time. Anecdotally and in contrast to your experience, I've been healthier since I swapped sugar in drinks to artificial sweeteners. But if it works for you, the numbers are the numbers, so keep at it. I once lost 20 pounds over the course of a year in highschool by swapping my lunch for a pack of Twinkies. Turns out calories in<calories out works no matter what you eat.

It sounds like this is specifically for people with hypertension that require low sodium diets. In the case of someone who's already in a high risk category the calculus is probably a bit different.

I agree. I finally talked to a nutritionist and learned what it actually means to "track my macros". Staying away from processed food is absolutely the key to healthier living.

Sugar is used to cover up excess salt not instead of salt. They are counter flavors that tend to cancel each other.

Sugar and salt can both extend shelf life as well so increasing both can increases shelf life without changing the flavor much.

They also both make you thirsty so soda manufacturers tend to increase both in sych to keep the taste about the same but make the soda far less thirst quenching.

Does the fediverse have any communities for keto or low carb/high protein?

I hope not, ketobro pseudoscience is a blight on the web

It gets a bad image, but is poison?

How is it poison? I've read that your body metabolizes msg better than salt, and msg is more potent meaning you can use less salt if you add a tiny bit of msg.

It especially put it on chips that have no flavor - or when the chips are only lightly salted.

Works wonders!

If you arent acclimated to it and additives like acids arent added sure but there are decent salt substitutes on the market

The foods wouldn't be saltier. Potassium chloride tastes similar to sodium chloride. It even seems saltier. Odds are you wouldn't notice the difference using their substitute over straight salt.