These days, people have been following a general trend - raising their eyebrows as soon as they hear the term "sodium"! They try to relate sodium with high blood pressure! In reality, it is not sodium, but a high sodium diet that actually causes high blood pressure in individuals. Further, why should you blame sodium alone for causing this health condition? Your stressful lifestyle and unhealthy diet high in saturated fat and trans fat are also responsible for causing high blood pressure. While criticizing sodium, we all tend to forget about the health benefits this mineral provides!
Sodium is one of the important elements which our body needs to function properly. It is considered as one of the essential mineral or micro nutrients required by our body. Minerals help the body to perform different functions such as building strong bones, transmitting nerve impulse, synthesizing hormones and maintaining a regular heart beat.
What are the Functions of Sodium?
Sodium, along with chlorine and potassium, ensures proper fluid and electrolyte or pH balance in our body.
- It helps in retaining the body's water and pH level. It helps the cells to draw in nutrients.
- Sodium is required for the proper functioning of our nerves and for muscle contraction.
- It is also necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid, the digestive enzyme secreted by the stomach to digest protein.
- Sodium also plays a special role in controlling the heart beat.
Health Benefits of Sodium
- On Brain: Sodium helps in maintaining the health and the development of the brain. Sodium deficiency in the brain may cause lethargy and confusion.
- On Water Balance: Sodium regulates the water level in the body and thus controls the level of extracellular fluid within the body. It also helps in maintaining a balance between the chlorides and the bicarbonate ions.
- On Muscle: Deficiency of sodium may cause electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. It may also lead to muscle cramps.
- On Aging: Sodium fights against the free radicals formed in the skin and thus slows down the aging process. The mineral can prevent sun stroke by replacing the essential electrolytes that get lost when the body becomes overheated.
- On Heart: It controls blood pressure and keeps the heart in good condition. It helps in the contraction of the heart muscle and also helps in removing the excess carbon dioxide accumulated within the body.
What can Excess Sodium do to Your Body?
Sodium has positive as well as negative effects. Having or adding too much of sodium in the diet may lead to severe consequences in the body. Too much sodium causes swelling and bloating of the extremities. The kidneys cannot eliminate excess salt faster and it results in fluid retention. The fluid tends to get accumulated in the area around the heart and comes in the way of its proper functioning. This is one of the major reasons of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or even stokes and heart attack.
Daily Requirement of Sodium
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the minimum sodium requirement for a healthy individual ranges from 120 mg per day for infants to 500 mg per day for adults and children who have crossed 10 years of age. Healthy adults should limit their sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day -- or 1,500 mg if you are more than 50 years old, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Just one teaspoon of table salt contains 2,325 mg of sodium. Talk to your doctor if you are not sure how much sodium your diet should include.
Food Sources of Sodium
- The most common form of sodium is sodium chloride, which is available as table salt. Table salt is 40% sodium.
- Sodium is also naturally present in most of the foods such as meat, beets, celery and even in drinking water depending upon the source.
- Sodium is an important ingredient and can be added to various food products in various forms like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and sodium benzoate. These are ingredients in condiments and seasonings such as soy sauce, onion salt and garlic salt.
- Several processed food products like bacon, sausage, ham, canned soups and vegetables contain sodium.
Salt is one of the four basic tastes along with sweet, sour and bitter. It has the capacity to bring out the flavor even in raw foods. Obtaining easily absorbable sodium from foods is essential to maintain a healthy life. You need to note that the intake of sodium in moderate amounts is not associated with any sort of health issue.
