Salt and sodium: The never ending saga
Will the salt and sodium saga ever end? We talk about these two substances so much. From the time we were small we have been told that too much salt is bad for us. Then at the same time we read and hear that we need sodium for our body to work at its best.
Some of us may think that salt and sodium are the same, but they are not the same. The salt we use in our food is technically sodium chloride and has the chemical formula NaCl whereas sodium is an element which has the chemical formula Na. Sodium is very reactive and it is not found free in nature. In fact it undergoes spontaneous combustion in water.
So while sodium is essential for human nutrition, nobody will want to eat pure sodium. When we ingest salt, the sodium and the chlorine ions in sodium chloride will separate from each other making the sodium available for absorption in our body. Around 40% of salt is sodium.
Salt plays a major role in food preservation and is also a universal flavour enhancer. A main condiment in our kitchen is salt. While the sodium in salt is an essential nutrient, salt also provides flavour, texture and enhances the colour of food.
How much sodium does your body need?
According to several published reports a normal healthy adult will need only ½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt per day in all meals consumed. Your normal diet will usually contain an adequate amount or even more of sodium to replace everyday losses through sweat, urine and body fluids. The daily need for sodium will vary with your health condition, circumstances and climate.
If you have been sweating excessively from heat or exercise, have diarrhoea or have been vomiting, the need to replace sodium increases significantly. If this loss is not replaced you can end up with complications such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea or muscle cramps. Drinking sodium-containing electrolyte beverages or adding a small amount of table salt to your meals can help to overcome this problem. A lower than normal level of sodium in the blood results in a condition known as hyponatremia where symptoms can be absent, mild or severe. Mild symptoms include a decreased ability to think, headaches, nausea, and poor balance while severe symptoms include confusion, seizures and coma.
Major dietary sources of sodium
The most obvious and major source of sodium in our diet is salt. Sodium is also naturally found in tiny amounts in most foods. It is important to note that food does not have to taste salty to be high in sodium. Dairy products, meats, shellfish and vegetables such as beets and celery contain the highest amount of natural sodium. However, this does not make a significant contribution to daily intake. You will get the most amount of sodium by eating processed and preserved foods as a significant amount of sodium is used as preservatives or as flavour enhancers as salt or other sodium containing compounds. Canned soups and vegetables, smoked and cured meats, commercially baked goods including bread, buns and pizza, some dairy products like processed cheese, salted snacks, commercially prepared sauces such as soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce, ketchup, olives, pickles and salad dressings usually contain the highest amount of sodium.
Health benefits of sodium
Sodium is found in every cell in our body and plays an essential role in the way cells maintain themselves and is necessary for transferring nerve impulses throughout our body. These functions also include muscle contractions and heart rhythm. Without sodium, your muscles wouldn’t work. Along with potassium and other electrolytes, sodium allows the body to generate nerve impulses. These impulses tell the muscle whether to contract or expand.
Health risks of sodium
Those at high risk of developing health problems related to salt consumption are generally those over 50, people who have slightly elevated blood pressure and those who have diabetes. When the kidneys which naturally balance sodium levels cannot excrete sufficient sodium, it begins to collect in the blood. As sodium accumulates, the body holds onto water to dilute the sodium. This increases the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream resulting in more work for the heart and more pressure on blood vessels. Over time, the extra work and pressure can stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
There is also some evidence that those who eat high-sodium diets are likely to develop kidney problems and calcium depletion. This is because your body gets rid of high levels of sodium through urination, taking calcium with it. While high levels of calcium in urine can lead to kidney stones, low levels of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones are weak and brittle.
Balancing sodium with potassium
Sodium and potassium have opposite effects on heart health: High salt intake increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, while high potassium intake can help relax blood vessels and excrete the sodium and decrease blood pressure,reduce the risk of kidney stones as well as maintain bone health.
So even though controlling your daily sodium intake is the best healthy method, a diet rich in potassium will to some extent help lessen the negative effects of sodium. Foods naturally high in potassium include meat, seafood, leafy greens, roots and tubers such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, fruits such as bananas, avocados, and pomegranates, vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower as well as legumes and nuts.
How to cut back on salt?
- Eat fresh fish, meats and vegetables instead of those that are processed, canned or dried
- Season food with herbs and spices, garlic, onion, mustard, lemon, pepper etc.
- Make your own salad dressings, sauces, chutneys and pickles
- It is also a good idea to remove the salt shaker from your dinner table
| Food grade salt Food grade salt is sold in either granular or powdered form. In granular form it is labelled as common salt, crystal salt, cooking salt or kitchen salt. The powdered form is table salt with an anti-caking substance added to make it free-flowing How does salt enhance flavour? Salt at low concentrations reduces bitter flavours and increases sweet, sour and umami, which is required for sweet recipes. At higher concentrations it suppresses sweetness and enhances umami, which is good for savoury food. The 5 flavours we taste are salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. Umami is a pleasant savoury taste that occurs naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products | |
| Iodized salt Iodized salt is food grade salt that has been fortified with minute amounts of iodine containing compounds mainly potassium iodate. Salt is iodized to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) that leads to the enlargement of the thyroid (goitre) and other thyroid related conditions. In Sri Lanka IDD’s were recognized as a major health problem in the mid 1980’s. Food grade salt was identified as a good vehicle for iodine fortification and legislation was enacted in the mid 1990’s stipulating that all edible salt for human consumption should be iodized. |