Sodium

Basic Information about Sodium

Sodium is one of the essential elements for healthy human life. Yet, in the modern age of food production sodium levels have risen to an alarming level in the United States. Sodium is one of the most abundant substances on the planet.

Sodium is one of the primary electrolytes in the body. The four major cationic electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The amounts of each of these four electrolytes will influence how the body manages to store the others. Sodium is the major elements which controls the regulation of water throughout the body. The way that most cells will allow water to enter or leave the cell depends on the sodium level inside or outside of the cell. With the transfer of water occurring all the time in the body it requires a certain amount of sodium in the body at all time. Having too much or too little sodium in the body can lead to many diseases, and is very detrimental to a person’s overall health. Sodium also plays a role in the neurological activities of the body.

Cultures which began in warmer climates have long used salt as a way of preserving foods. The methods of pickling and making jerky have given people the ability of keeping their food stores for longer periods of time. The most common way which sodium is added to a diet is through its use as a seasoning agent.

Sodium controls the level of water in cells, therefore the addition of sodium to foods will help them to release the flavors from the cells and make food items more delicious to the taste. Anciently salt, which contains 40% sodium, was one of the more prized possessions a person could own. The salt at a common neighborhood supermarket would be worth many kingdoms’ worth of gold in ancient times.

Food Sources of Sodium

Many people think of sodium and instantly think it is the same thing as salt. That is simply not true. Basic table salt purchased at most stores is only 40% sodium and 60% chloride. The average diet of an American is very high in sodium. As explained above sodium is found in nearly every living thing. Nearly every food source has some supply of sodium.

Sodium is used as a preservative, so foods which are processed, can, sealed, or prepackaged normally have higher levels of sodium compared to fresh food sources. There are few groups of people who actually need to concern themselves with not having enough sodium in their diet. These groups of people include those who are athletics or those who are extreme body builders. Groups of people who release a large amount of sweat will have lower levels of sodium in comparison to a normal person. Yet, an average diet will have enough sodium in the next meal to replace all which might have been lost by an athlete or worker.

Basically the minimum sodium intake which is recommended is 1,500 mg per day. That is equal to less than the sodium contained in a single teaspoon of salt. The upper limit which is recommended in general for sodium is 2,300 mg per day. On average an American male will have anywhere between 3,100 to 4,700 mg per day, and women will take in 2,300 to 3,100 mg per day. So it is clear that there are many sources of sodium in an average diet. What a person should be looking for is food sources which are low in sodium, and will help to maintain a normal balanced diet.

First, a person must cut back on foods which are high in sodium. Foods which are prepared in restaurants, food which are pre-prepared for home reheating (such as instant meals), foods which are canned and other processed foods, and items which have been cooked in salted oils are all food extremely high in sodium. An average fast food meal can contain anywhere between 1,200 to over 3,000 mg of sodium. Making it nearly impossible for a person to eat the meal and still get under the upper limit of sodium in a day. Items to avoid which are too high in sodium include: apple pie, English muffin, margarine, chicken dinners, canned corn, dill pickles, ham, table salt, potato salad, chocolate pudding, meat loaf, tomato sauce, fish sandwich, dry roasted peanuts, American cheese, beef bouillon, antacid in water, cottage cheese, peanut brittle, tuna pot pie, tomato soup, jumbo burger (any fast food hamburger), buttermilk, mashed potatoes, soy sauce, frankfurter, salad dressing, heavily processed corn flakes, chicken noodle soup, salted butter, pound cake, and most any frozen pastries or pies.

Better items to substitute in the place of the poor items include: apple, applesauce, bread, low sodium bread, vegetable oil, unsalted butter, fresh from the butcher’s block chicken, frozen non-injected chicken, fresh corn, frozen corn, cucumber, pork loin, lemon, plain yogurt, milk, steak, tomato, tuna, unsalted peanuts, fresh peanut butter, and water.

Second, what a person is adding to their food is just as important as what they are actually eating. Remember, a single teaspoon of table salt represents 2,000 mg of sodium. That just above what doctors recommend a person should eat in a day. The quickest way to increase the amounts of sodium in a diet to an unhealthy level is to have salt and pepper sitting on the table. This tradition of having these spices near food began long before the extreme saltiness of processed foods began. There is already enough salt in foods—there is no need to add anymore salt during the preparation process or when the food is being served at the table. There are other condiments which also increase the amount of sodium which foods contain and need to be avoided, or used in a sparser manner.

Here is a list of condiments which contain an extreme level of salt: onion salt, celery salt, garlic salt, seasoned salt, meat tenderizer, bouillon, baking powder, baking soda, mono sodium glutamate (msg), soy sauce, steak sauce, barbeque sauce, catsup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salad dressings, pickles, chili sauce, and relish.

Instead of adding additional sodium in hopes of gain additional flavor it is recommended that a person use herbs instead. The use of fresh and unsalted dried, herbs and spices can add much needed flavor to foods. Plus, it will lower a person’s overall sodium intake. This will lead to better overall health, and many less health complications as a person ages.

When to Get a Little Extra Sodium

Is there ever a time when a person should be concerned about not getting enough sodium in their diet? Yes. There are times when the supplementation of sodium is not only needed, but it would be very detrimental for a person’s safety not to have additional sodium. Sodium is one of the essential elements for humans to survive. If a person is deprived of sodium it can lead to many health problems, the worst of which is an eventual death.

Sodium tablets have actually be developed to help a person survive when they have very little food and water. The sodium supplementation will help their bodies to function properly. This supplementation is normally only needed when a person is traveling on a long back country trip, or is in a location where there are simply little levels of clean food and water.

There are other times when the supplementation of sodium is needed. Athletes, or those people working out at a high level, are in need of replacing the sodium their bodies lose through perspiration. A common side effect of not having enough salt in a person’s system is body weakness, headaches, and muscle cramps. All side effects a person wouldn’t want while training, nor would they want to experience any of these symptoms when they are participating in a sporting event. A great way to supplement your diet and get the proper amount of sodium is through a healthy meal replacement.

Finding a product with the right amount of sodium is the key to overall health. Many body building and training supplements will contain large amounts of sodium. This high concentration of sodium will have a very negative effect on any person who is using them to train. This excessive amount of sodium will lead to the body retaining high amounts of water. While this might have a very positive short term gain of adding mass to a person’s body, it will have a very negative long term effect.

When a person adds mass to their body through sodium and water retention it is only a short term gain. A person must continue to take the supplement which is high in sodium in order to continue gaining the desired results of greater mass. In addition, a person will experience a phenomenon known as “water muscles.” Instead of having hard sculpted muscles a person will have larger, undefined, soft muscles. For a majority of those participating in weight lifting water muscles are less than desirable.

While too much sodium in a muscle building supplement can be very detrimental, not having any sodium will not rejuvenate the body and allow a person to continue to work out at a high level. When looking for a product like Creatine and other muscle mass supplements it is important to make sure there is a good amount of sodium, but not so much that a person will simple gain mass through the retention of water.

This is especially important for women who are looking to strength train. Studies have shown that excessive amounts of sodium will cause when to pass calcium through their urinary system. This is very counterproductive to a woman’s long term health, because a woman needs as much calcium in her system as possible to prevent the possibility of the loss of bone mass later in life. So remember that a fantastic way to supplement your diet and get the proper amount of sodium is through a healthy meal replacement.

When looking for any health supplement, it is important to do research. One of the first items a person should find out is how much sodium a supplement contains. If a person should have any questions they should contact their medical professional before starting to take any new supplement.