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PROMOTES Fluid Balance in Whole Body Blood Vessel Stability Blood Pressure Stability Cardiac Function
PROTECTS AGAINST Swelling Fatigue Irregular Heart Rate Low Blood Pressure
The Average American has far too much sodium in their diet. There is no RDA for sodium however it is suggested not to exceed 3 grams a day.
Overview Sodium was discovered by Humphrey Davy in 1807. It is an alkali metal and is the 11th element on the atomic periodic table.
Sodium, an essential trace macro mineral, is one of the body's major electrolytes. Electrolytes carry an electronic charge and this provides the strong influence over the solubility of substances. The electrolytes regulate osmotic pressure in body fluids and sodium is the one that predominates electrolyte activity in fluids outside of the cells (extracellular). Sodium works most closely with the predominant intracellular electrolyte, potassium, to achieve homeostasis with proper/normal water distribution in the body. Without electrolyte balance, fluid shifts cause congestion and poor function in organs and fluid overload or dehydration.
The kidneys, the master chemists of the body, excrete excess amounts of sodium if present in the body. The American diet contains far more sodium than the body needs or is considered healthy. Up to 3000% more sodium in the form of sodium chloride (table salt) is consumed daily, mostly the salt that is used in food processing, preservation and packaging and in convenience, snack or "junk" food. One teaspoon of salt is the equivalent of 2400milligrams of sodium. Indiscriminant addition of salt to prepared food at the table can substantially add to the amount consumed.
Besides sodium chloride, there are other far less occurring sodium compounds available. One example is sodium fluoride.
There are some conditions that can cause sodium depletion and deficiency. Dehydration caused by excessive sweating, severe vomiting and diarrhea, and/or decreased intake of water for sustained periods of time. Some cancers, such as lung cancer, can cause sodium deficiency.
Sodium deficiency symptoms can include: -Appetite Loss -Dehydration -Dyspnea (shortness of breath) -Edema (swelling) -Fatigue -Memory and Concentration Impairment -Muscle Fatigue (ease of exhaustion)
Sodium is depleted most readily by diuretics cancer chemotherapeutic agents and steroids. Other drugs that can cause depletion are some antihypertensive drugs, antibiotics, and gout medications. Aspirin can deplete sodium.
More than not, sodium is added to the food preparatory and packaging process.
Table salt, sodium chloride, is the number one source for sodium in the U.S. diet and increasing in diets throughout the world. It is used not only at the table but in massive quantities in food processing - in canning and bottling, in preparing foods for freezing, in convenience and "fast" foods, in sauces, dressings and condiments, in snack and "treat" foods, in dried and specialty meats, and in packaged foods in general.
Sodium occurs naturally in much smaller quantities in "raw" food. Meat and dairy foods contain more sodium than raw or unsalted cooked vegetables and whole grains. Fresh fruit is very low in sodium.
Sodium is added to many foods, not to avoid depletion syndromes, but for preservation purposes.
Fluid homeostasis (balance) is the primary physiologic role of sodium. The blood volume within blood vessels known as the intravascular volume, is most dependent on sodium. Without adequate levels of sodium in the blood, fluids leak out of the blood vessels into the spaces in, around, and between organs and tissues and cause swelling. With too much sodium the intravascular volume increases causing blood pressure elevations and other types of fluid shifts that can jeopardize health.
An eight ounce can of "soda pop" type soft drink contains approximately between 35 and 55 milligrams of sodium; a glass of milk, with all its superior nutritional power, contains over 100 milligrams.
Recommended Dietary Allowance: No RDA -recommended dietary allowance- exists for sodium but intake is said to not exceed three grams a day under dietary guidelines.
Renal failure, failure of the function of the kidneys, can lead to dangerously high serum sodium levels that can cause serious fluid shifts in the body and cause fluid accumulation in areas such as the lungs and heart. These could become life threatening.
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