Sodium, Benefits Of Sodium , Sodium Deficiency And Sodium Food Sources By Candy Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Sodium is an essential mineral or micronutrient found in the bones as well as the fluid surrounding cells. It is a component of body secretions such as saliva and enzymes, and is lost when the body sweats. Excess dietary sodium is excreted through the urine. Sodium along with potassium helps to regulate the body's fluid balance.

Unlike other minerals, sodium (or sodium chloride or popularly termed as salt) has a identifiable and familiar taste.

Benefits of sodium:

A low sodium diet along with exercise, weight loss and medication helps reduce high blood pressure in most people.

Sodium helps maintain proper distribution of water in the body, as well as blood pressure. It is also important for maintaining the proper acid-base balance and in the transmission of nerve impulses as well as muscle contraction. The kidney efficiently reabsorbs sodium when intake is either low or losses are excessive.

Sodium is beneficial for the treatment of diarrhoea, muscle cramps, dehydration, and fever, since it has the property of holding water in body tissues.

Sodium also helps to keep calcium and other minerals soluble in the blood, as well as stimulates the functioning of the adrenal glands. Sodium helps in preventing heat stroke.

The most common form of dietary sodium is table salt, which contains 40 percent sodium. One teaspoon of table salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium.

Sodium deficiency:

Sodium deficiency is not quite common. Most of us infact consume more sodium than the recommended daily allowance. Excess sodium intake is linked with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The most frequently observed sodium deficiency occurs when excessive heat causes heavy perspiration, thus reducing body water and sodium to the extent that dehydration affects normal functioning of the body.

Symptoms of sodium deficiency include weakness, loss of appetite, nausea as well as cramps in the muscles and stomach. Such persons should use increased amounts of table salt in their food to supplement the sodium lost due to dehydration and sweating.

In rare cases, sodium deficiency can also lead to shock due to decreased blood pressure. This can also take place if the kidney is not able to reabsorb the sodium in the body. The person may have muscle or stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, mental apathy, appetite loss.

What are the common sources of sodium?

Common table salt is sodium chloride, which is 40 percent sodium by weight. Ready made and packaged foods also contain sodium bicarbonate, baking soda or sodium.

Some drugs also have high amounts of sodium. Therefore, one must carefully read the labels on all over-the-counter drugs before buying them. Look at the composition list on the drug to see if the product has sodium – especially if one is on a low sodium diet. Most spices also naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.

How to reduce sodium in diet?

•Choose fresh foods over frozen or canned food items – they contain added salts.

•Eat unsalted nuts, snacks, peas and lentils.

•Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

•Limit the amount of salty snacks and seasonings such as chips, pickles, condiments, sauces.

•Cook fresh and from the scratch, since processed foods usually has higher sodium content.

•Check sodium-content on food labels - choose low sodium brands.

•Do not be generous when adding salt at the table.

•Reduce intake of fast food, such as pizzas, burgers, instant foods.

•Sprinkle lemon juice over vegetables. Marinate meat, chicken and fish ahead of time with onion, garlic, and other spices and herbs before cooking to bring out and enhance the flavour.

•Snack on fresh fruits, salads, low fat yoghurt, rather than chips, spicy snacks.

•Eat fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium as well as low-fat yogurt.

•Use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food, rather than adding extra salt.
Your taste buds will gradually adjust to cutting down on salt.

High sodium intake – is it toxic?

A high sodium diet may lead to water retention, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart disease, even kidney stones. A high-sodium diet also increases the need for potassium by the body.

However, sodium is generally nontoxic in healthy adult individuals because the extra is excreted through the urine.

Recommended Daily Allowance:

The recommendation is to consume less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of table salt per day. It includes sodium in all forms including salt.

People with high blood pressure should limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day.

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