Salt And Sodium
Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It is a food flavoring and used as a binding agent and stabilizer. It is also a food preservative, as bacteria cannot thrive in the presence of too much salt.
The human body needs a small amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the correct balance of water and minerals.
It is estimated that we need about 500 mg of sodium per day for these vital functions. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
It can also cause calcium loss, and some of it may be pulled from the bones. Most Americans consume at least 1.5 teaspoons of salt per day, or about 3,400 mg of sodium, which contains far more than our bodies need.
Why is too much salt bad for you?
Recommended amounts
In the United States, the Reference Dietary Intakes indicate that there is insufficient evidence to establish a recommended dietary allowance or toxic level of sodium (apart from chronic disease risk).
For this reason, the acceptable upper intake level (UL) has not been established; UL is the maximum daily intake that is not likely to cause adverse health effects.
Guidelines for adequate amounts of sodium were developed based on the lowest levels of sodium intake used in randomized controlled trials that did not show deficiency but also allowed adequate intake of nutritious foods that naturally contain sodium.
For men and women 14 and older, and pregnant women, the AI is 1,500 milligrams per day.
A chronic disease risk reduction (CDRR) intake was also established, based on evidence of the benefit of reduced sodium intake on the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Reducing sodium intake below the CPR rate would be expected to reduce the risk of chronic disease in a healthy general population.
The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDRR) lists 2,300 milligrams per day as the maximum intake for reducing chronic disease for men and women age 14, older women, and pregnant women.
Most people in the United States consume more sodium than the AI or CDRR guidelines.
Sodium and Health
In most people, the kidneys have trouble keeping up with the increased sodium in the blood. When sodium builds up, the body retains water to dilute the sodium.
This increases the amount of fluid surrounding the cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Increased blood volume means more work for the heart and more pressure on the blood vessels. Over time, the extra work and stress can harden the blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
It can also lead to heart failure. There is some evidence that excessive salt intake can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and it may also be harmful to bones. Learn more about the health risks and illnesses related to salt and sodium:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic kidney failure
- Osteoporosis
- cancer
food sources
Sodium is generally not a nutrient you need to look out for; find you. Almost any unprocessed food such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, meat and dairy products is low in sodium.
Most of the salt in our diets comes from commercially prepared foods, not from salt added to home cooking or even from table salt before eating. [1,18]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the top 10 sources of sodium in our diets include: Bread/rolls. Pizza; sandwiches. cold meats / cured meats; the soup. Burritos and tacos. delicious snacks (chips, popcorn, pretzels, crackers); chicken; cheese; Eggs and omelettes.
Are "natural" salts healthier than table salt?
Salt is harvested from salt mines or by evaporating ocean water. All types of salt are made from sodium chloride, and the nutrient content varies slightly.
Although less processed salts contain small amounts of minerals, the amount is not enough to provide a significant nutritional benefit. Various salts are selected mainly for flavor.
The most commonly used table salt is extracted from underground salt deposits. It is heavily processed to remove impurities, which may also remove traces of minerals. Then it is very finely ground.
Iodine, a trace mineral, was added to salt in 1924 to prevent goiter and hypothyroidism, medical conditions caused by iodine deficiency. Table salt often also contains an anti-caking agent such as calcium silicate to prevent clumps from forming.
Kosher salt is a coarse-grained salt that is named for use in preparing traditional kosher food. Kosher salt does not usually contain iodine but may have an anti-caking agent.
Sea salt is produced by evaporating ocean water or sea water. It also consists mostly of sodium chloride, but sometimes contains small amounts of minerals such as potassium, zinc, and iron depending on where it was harvested.
Because it is not highly refined and milled like table salt, it may appear coarser and darker with an uneven color, indicating impurities and residual nutrients. Unfortunately, some of these impurities can contain metals found in the ocean, such as lead. The coarse and grit size varies by brand.
Pink Himalayan salt is harvested from mines in Pakistan. Its pink color comes from small amounts of iron oxide. Similar to sea salt, it is less processed and refined so the crystals appear larger and contain small amounts of minerals including iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Larger or coarse grains of salt don't dissolve easily or evenly in cooking, but do provide a flowing flavor. It is best to sprinkle it on meat and vegetables before or immediately after cooking. They should not be used in baking recipes.
Keep in mind that measurements of different salts cannot always be substituted in recipes. In general, sea salt and table salt can be alternated if the grain size is similar.
However, table salt tends to have a more concentrated and saltier flavor than kosher salt, so a substitution is 1 teaspoon of table salt for about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt depending on the brand.
Signs of deficiency and toxicity
Deficiency
Sodium deficiency in the United States is rare because it is commonly added to a variety of foods and occurs naturally in some foods. Hyponatremia is the term used to describe abnormally low amounts of sodium in the blood.
This mainly occurs in the elderly, especially those who live in long-term care facilities or hospitals who take medications or have health conditions that deplete the body of sodium, leading to hyponatremia.
Vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating can also cause hyponatremia if salt is lost in these fluids that are expelled from the body. Sometimes, an abnormally large accumulation of fluid in the body can lead to hyponatremia, which may result from diseases such as heart failure or cirrhosis of the liver.
In rare cases, simply drinking too much fluid can cause hyponatremia if the kidneys are unable to excrete the extra water. Symptoms of hyponatremia can include: nausea, vomiting, headache, altered mental status/confusion, lethargy, seizures, and coma.
Toxicity
Too much sodium in the blood is called hypernatremia. This acute condition can occur in elderly people who are mentally and physically disabled and do not eat or drink enough, or who have a high fever, vomiting, or an infection that causes severe dehydration.
Excessive sweating or diuretic medications that drain water from the body are other causes. When sodium builds up in the blood, water moves from the cells into the blood to dilute it. This fluid shift and fluid buildup in the brain can cause seizures, coma, or even death. Excess fluid in the lungs can make it difficult to breathe.
Other symptoms of hypernatremia can include: nausea, vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite, extreme thirst, confusion, and kidney damage.
Sodium and potassium reaction
Sodium and potassium are closely related but have opposite effects in the body. Both are essential nutrients that play key roles in maintaining physiological homeostasis, and both are linked to the risk of chronic disease, especially cardiovascular disease.
High salt intake increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, while high potassium intake can help relax blood vessels and excrete sodium while lowering blood pressure.
Our bodies need much more potassium than sodium each day, but the typical US diet is exactly the opposite: the average American has about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, about 75% of which comes from processed foods, while all of us get They contain only 2,900 mg of potassium. day.
A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that:
- People who eat a high-sodium, low-potassium diet have a higher risk of dying from a heart attack or any cause. In this study, people with a high sodium intake were 20% more likely to die from any cause than people with a lower sodium intake. People who ate the most potassium were 20% less likely to die than people who ate the least. But what may be more important for health is the relationship of sodium to potassium in the diet. People with the highest ratio of sodium to potassium in their diets had a double risk of heart attack than people with the lowest ratio, and they had a 50% higher risk of death from any cause.
- People can make a major dietary change to help lower their risk: Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium, but eat less bread, cheese, processed meats, and other processed foods that are high in sodium. And low in potassium.