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.
Showing posts with label salt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salt. Show all posts
Low Sodium Diet Tips
If you are on a salt free or low salt diet you have discovered how difficult grocery shopping and meal preparation can be. Your doctor told you to reduce or eliminate salt in your diet. Your initial thought is you could simply stop using the salt shaker, but soon discover that salt is really called sodium. You start reading the nutrition facts labels on food packages and wonder how you are going to cut salt out of your diet when it's in everything you eat. Here is what you need to know about sodium in food.
Sodium (aka Salt) Facts
Salt is the common name for sodium chloride. The nutrition facts panels on packaged foods use the word sodium so you may not have been aware that salt is actually listed as sodium. Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). One teaspoon of salt contains 2,400 mg of sodium. Don't be fooled. Sea salt, Kosher salt, and other designer salts contain the same amount of sodium as ordinary table salt. Count the milligrams of sodium in everything you eat including condiments and write it all down. Your doctor probably gave you a target maximum number of milligrams you should consume per day. If not, the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends consumption of no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. The National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine, which advises the U.S. government about recommended levels of nutrients, is more conservative and offers this guideline as an adequate intake of sodium per day: Ages 19-50: 1,500 mg per day. Ages 51-70: 1,300 mg per day. Ages 70+: 1,200 mg per day. Packaged foods are required to have a nutrition panel on the label. Always read food labels and do the math. The sodium content on the nutrition panel is based on the number of servings the package states. Example: a can of soup may say 770 mg of sodium but bases that number on 2.5 servings. 770 x 2.5 = 1,925 mg of sodium in that can of soup. Read the list of ingredients on packaged foods, not just the nutrition panel, for sodium-containing compounds such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Look for sodium in words, such as monoSODIUM glutamate (MSG). Sodium is prevalent in most processed foods. Health experts claim at least 75% of the salt we eat is hidden in packaged food. Simply claiming you don't use salt, meaning you don't sprinkle it on your food, is living in denial.
Recognize which foods are high in sodium and take control of what you eat. De-emphasize the use of processed foods where salt is used to excess. Convenience foods may be convenient, but are laden with sodium. By convenient I mean, if the food is packaged in a box or can and is easy to eat or quick to prepare, it's probably laden with salt. The same for frozen one step meals like frozen dinners, appetizers, and pizza. Fat Free actually means "Way Too Much Salt." Any label on a package that claims their food is fat free, in my opinion, should be required to state, "We took the fat out. Now our food has no taste, so we poured in extra salt to give it flavor!" The following foods have a lot of salt in them: canned soups, chili, salad dressings, pasta sauces, gravies, broths, sauces and marinades. Many brands of canned soup and chili have more sodium in each can than you should consume in an entire day. If you must eat them, compare different brands and choose the one with the lowest sodium content. Any packaged food that comes with a sauce, such as frozen vegetables in butter sauce, usually has too much sodium. Cut back on instant flavored rice or pasta. If you open the package and there is a seasoning packet inside, it is a good bet that the sodium content is very high. Pay attention to the sodium content of your favorite condiments, particularly meat tenderizer, steak sauce, soy sauce, salsa, and catsup. Avoid gravy and seasoning mixes in those foil lined pouches. Avoid ham, bacon, sausage, and lunch meat. Many varieties of cheese contain a high sodium content. Bread and baked goods have a high sodium content. Avoid salty snack foods such as pretzels, potato chips, salted nuts, olives, and pickles. These terms indicate high sodium content: pickled, smoked, marinated, teriyaki, soy sauce, broth, au jus. There are no good choices at fast food restaurants. Ordering a salad may appear to be the healthy choice, but most salad dressings contain an exorbitant amount of sodium.
Healthy Choices
We need sodium in our diet to be alive, but very little. Health experts claim 220 mg to 500 mg per day is sufficient. Cook from scratch. Know the sodium content in each of the ingredients used to prepare a meal or snack. Use a kitchen scale. Calculate the weight of food to determine the sodium count. As an example, a skinless chicken breast has approximately 20 mg of sodium per ounce. Your chicken breast weighs 3.5 ounces = 70 mg of sodium. You'll love having a scale. Throw away your salt shaker. Use sodium free AlsoSalt salt substitute at the table to season your food. You can have the flavor of salt without the harmful effects of sodium. Cook and bake with AlsoSalt using it wherever salt is called for in a recipe. Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Choose fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added salt. You can easily make your own chili, taco, and meat loaf mixes. Use a bread machine and make your own bread with low sodium and sodium free ingredients. Rinse canned foods, such as vegetables and tuna to remove some sodium. When available, buy low or reduced sodium, or no salt added versions of foods. These foods are generally quite bland, but you can add AlsoSalt to replace the salty flavor. Search for low sodium foods on the Internet. When you find products of interest, check to find where they are available in your area. Websites usually have a page that tells you which stores carry their products. Use the Internet as a tool to search for low sodium foods and make your grocery list. Write down the food product, the name of the manufacturer, and the sodium content of each item. This is so much easier and less frustrating than standing in the grocery aisle reading labels on hundreds of choices trying to determine which one has the lowest sodium content. Mainstream grocery stores are not yet convinced they need low sodium products on their shelves. Talk to your store manager and tell them you need more low sodium food choices. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are low in sodium. Worth Repeating: Cook from scratch! Food in its natural state has enough sodium to give you what your body requires.
Copyright 2005 Joan Watsabaugh
Joan Watsabaugh is the CEO of AlsoSalt, LLC. A true scientific breakthrough, AlsoSalt offers the taste of salt without the adverse health risks of sodium. It is completely sodium free without the bitter aftertaste other salt substitutes have. You can cook and bake with AlsoSalt or simply sprinkle it over food. Plus, it has the added dietary benefit of nutrients which are essential to good health. http://www.alsosalt.com/
Sodium (aka Salt) Facts
Salt is the common name for sodium chloride. The nutrition facts panels on packaged foods use the word sodium so you may not have been aware that salt is actually listed as sodium. Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). One teaspoon of salt contains 2,400 mg of sodium. Don't be fooled. Sea salt, Kosher salt, and other designer salts contain the same amount of sodium as ordinary table salt. Count the milligrams of sodium in everything you eat including condiments and write it all down. Your doctor probably gave you a target maximum number of milligrams you should consume per day. If not, the U.S. government's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends consumption of no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. The National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine, which advises the U.S. government about recommended levels of nutrients, is more conservative and offers this guideline as an adequate intake of sodium per day: Ages 19-50: 1,500 mg per day. Ages 51-70: 1,300 mg per day. Ages 70+: 1,200 mg per day. Packaged foods are required to have a nutrition panel on the label. Always read food labels and do the math. The sodium content on the nutrition panel is based on the number of servings the package states. Example: a can of soup may say 770 mg of sodium but bases that number on 2.5 servings. 770 x 2.5 = 1,925 mg of sodium in that can of soup. Read the list of ingredients on packaged foods, not just the nutrition panel, for sodium-containing compounds such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Look for sodium in words, such as monoSODIUM glutamate (MSG). Sodium is prevalent in most processed foods. Health experts claim at least 75% of the salt we eat is hidden in packaged food. Simply claiming you don't use salt, meaning you don't sprinkle it on your food, is living in denial.
Recognize which foods are high in sodium and take control of what you eat. De-emphasize the use of processed foods where salt is used to excess. Convenience foods may be convenient, but are laden with sodium. By convenient I mean, if the food is packaged in a box or can and is easy to eat or quick to prepare, it's probably laden with salt. The same for frozen one step meals like frozen dinners, appetizers, and pizza. Fat Free actually means "Way Too Much Salt." Any label on a package that claims their food is fat free, in my opinion, should be required to state, "We took the fat out. Now our food has no taste, so we poured in extra salt to give it flavor!" The following foods have a lot of salt in them: canned soups, chili, salad dressings, pasta sauces, gravies, broths, sauces and marinades. Many brands of canned soup and chili have more sodium in each can than you should consume in an entire day. If you must eat them, compare different brands and choose the one with the lowest sodium content. Any packaged food that comes with a sauce, such as frozen vegetables in butter sauce, usually has too much sodium. Cut back on instant flavored rice or pasta. If you open the package and there is a seasoning packet inside, it is a good bet that the sodium content is very high. Pay attention to the sodium content of your favorite condiments, particularly meat tenderizer, steak sauce, soy sauce, salsa, and catsup. Avoid gravy and seasoning mixes in those foil lined pouches. Avoid ham, bacon, sausage, and lunch meat. Many varieties of cheese contain a high sodium content. Bread and baked goods have a high sodium content. Avoid salty snack foods such as pretzels, potato chips, salted nuts, olives, and pickles. These terms indicate high sodium content: pickled, smoked, marinated, teriyaki, soy sauce, broth, au jus. There are no good choices at fast food restaurants. Ordering a salad may appear to be the healthy choice, but most salad dressings contain an exorbitant amount of sodium.
Healthy Choices
We need sodium in our diet to be alive, but very little. Health experts claim 220 mg to 500 mg per day is sufficient. Cook from scratch. Know the sodium content in each of the ingredients used to prepare a meal or snack. Use a kitchen scale. Calculate the weight of food to determine the sodium count. As an example, a skinless chicken breast has approximately 20 mg of sodium per ounce. Your chicken breast weighs 3.5 ounces = 70 mg of sodium. You'll love having a scale. Throw away your salt shaker. Use sodium free AlsoSalt salt substitute at the table to season your food. You can have the flavor of salt without the harmful effects of sodium. Cook and bake with AlsoSalt using it wherever salt is called for in a recipe. Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Choose fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without added salt. You can easily make your own chili, taco, and meat loaf mixes. Use a bread machine and make your own bread with low sodium and sodium free ingredients. Rinse canned foods, such as vegetables and tuna to remove some sodium. When available, buy low or reduced sodium, or no salt added versions of foods. These foods are generally quite bland, but you can add AlsoSalt to replace the salty flavor. Search for low sodium foods on the Internet. When you find products of interest, check to find where they are available in your area. Websites usually have a page that tells you which stores carry their products. Use the Internet as a tool to search for low sodium foods and make your grocery list. Write down the food product, the name of the manufacturer, and the sodium content of each item. This is so much easier and less frustrating than standing in the grocery aisle reading labels on hundreds of choices trying to determine which one has the lowest sodium content. Mainstream grocery stores are not yet convinced they need low sodium products on their shelves. Talk to your store manager and tell them you need more low sodium food choices. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are low in sodium. Worth Repeating: Cook from scratch! Food in its natural state has enough sodium to give you what your body requires.
Copyright 2005 Joan Watsabaugh
Joan Watsabaugh is the CEO of AlsoSalt, LLC. A true scientific breakthrough, AlsoSalt offers the taste of salt without the adverse health risks of sodium. It is completely sodium free without the bitter aftertaste other salt substitutes have. You can cook and bake with AlsoSalt or simply sprinkle it over food. Plus, it has the added dietary benefit of nutrients which are essential to good health. http://www.alsosalt.com/
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Low Sodium Diet - A Natural Salt Substitute That is Not High in Sodium
The dietary habits of our nation as a whole have gone lower and lower every year since the 1950's and its no coincidence that we are now among the most obese nation in the world but one of the silent killers out there today and that is high blood pressure. Excessive sodium intake is the culprit that many experts say has something to do with our blood pressure levels and many dieticians recommend a low sodium diet, but how can this be realistically achieved? These days almost every food we eat is filled with sodium so how can we have a low sodium diet and still get the same taste in our food that we had before?
No doubt you have seen many companies tout their salt substitute products saying that they have the same taste as regular salt with none of the unhealthy side effects but upon closer examination you will see that many of these companies have use things like potassium chloride which can effect people taking certain meds for lowering blood pressure . Its always wise to try to find a natural salt substitute. Smart salts are gaining in popularity since one of their main ingredients is basic table salt that is mixed with magnesium and potassium. As you can see these are natural minerals that are all needed in our diet . Their job is to lower the percentage of sodium in table salt without killing the taste. This is one way you can create an all natural salt substitute.
Whether you are a spring chicken in your mid twenties or a middle aged person in your forties like me it is never too late to get into a low sodium diet. We are a nation that has become salt dependent but does this mean that we have to become sodium dependent? Thankfully the answer is no and thanks to natural advances in salt substitutes you can still enjoy your charbroiled chicken salad with a pinch of some natural salt substitutes to satisfy your starving taste buds.
No doubt you have seen many companies tout their salt substitute products saying that they have the same taste as regular salt with none of the unhealthy side effects but upon closer examination you will see that many of these companies have use things like potassium chloride which can effect people taking certain meds for lowering blood pressure . Its always wise to try to find a natural salt substitute. Smart salts are gaining in popularity since one of their main ingredients is basic table salt that is mixed with magnesium and potassium. As you can see these are natural minerals that are all needed in our diet . Their job is to lower the percentage of sodium in table salt without killing the taste. This is one way you can create an all natural salt substitute.
Whether you are a spring chicken in your mid twenties or a middle aged person in your forties like me it is never too late to get into a low sodium diet. We are a nation that has become salt dependent but does this mean that we have to become sodium dependent? Thankfully the answer is no and thanks to natural advances in salt substitutes you can still enjoy your charbroiled chicken salad with a pinch of some natural salt substitutes to satisfy your starving taste buds.
If you're looking for a natural Salt substitute that has all of the taste of regular table salt with half the sodium, visit us at http://www.smartsalt.com to place an order for our smart salt products.
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