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9Sodium (Na) - Body & Health Importance + Top 30 Sources
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the EdaPlus.info project
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Abstract. The article discusses the main properties of sodium ( Na ) and its effect on the human body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and relevant scientific data was carried out. The best natural sources of sodium are indicated . The use of the mineral in various types of medicine and the effectiveness of its use in various diseases are considered. The potentially adverse effects of sodium on the human body under certain medical conditions and diseases are analyzed separately.
Keywords: sodium, Na, benefit, harm, beneficial properties, contraindications
It is the sixth most abundant element on Earth and is found in almost all foods. The mineral is beneficial to health in limited quantities, as its excess leads to high blood pressure, stroke, chronic heart and kidney diseases. No wonder scientists and WHO experts consider salt to be the main culprit of cardiovascular problems. However, not all reports about the dangers of salt are true, and we will debunk some popular myths.
A Brief Overview of the Role of Sodium in the Body
Sodium is an electrolyte and a mineral. Most of all, it is found in the blood and lymphatic fluid (from 80%). This level partially controls the hormone that the adrenal glands produce - aldosterone tells the kidneys when to keep the component, and when it's time to get rid of it.
The substance is necessary for the body to maintain fluid balance, regulate blood pressure, and work nerves and muscles. Without it, human existence is impossible, but do not worry about its lack - the average person receives twice as much sodium as recommended by WHO.
The excess forces the body to store and retain water in order to dilute the sodium. This leads to an increase in blood volume and the amount of fluid surrounding the cells. Such processes are harmful to the heart - the more blood, the more work for it and the greater the pressure on the blood vessels.
Sodium is excreted from the body in two ways - through urine and sweat. This is not a reason to use it every time you sweat. Under normal circumstances, people do not need electrolyte drinks to replace
lost fluids and salts. [one]
Journal.edaplus.info - Журнал здорового питания и диетологии What tests determine the deficiency and excess of sodium?
The level of the mineral in the body is detected using a blood test:
• hyponatremia - deficiency at an indicator below 135 mmol / l;
• hypernatremia - excess at a concentration of more than 145 mmol / l.
Low rates in most cases are associated with excessive fluid intake, and not with a lack of a component in the diet.
Sodium in food - where do we get it from?
The mineral enters the body with almost any food and water. But unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, meat, and milk do not have high concentrations. We get the substance not even from salt added to dishes, but from industrial products - more than 70% comes from sausages, cheeses and other processed foods, where it is found in the form of glutamate and other compounds.
Many people use the terms sodium and salt interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two—salt is 40% mineral and 60% chloride. Some of its types can still be enriched with iodine, iron, folic acid. It is added to food not only for taste, but also as a stabilizer and food preservative. Salt substitutes contain less sodium but are not as safe. Usually they also contain potassium, the excess of which is also harmful to health.
Foods High in Sodium
Foods with a high concentration of the mineral are not always salty - they may have ingredients that balance the taste. For example, sweet biscuits may contain sodium bicarbonate (baking powder).
15 Animal Foods Rich in Sodium [2]
No. Product mg per 100 g
1 Salted mackerel 4 450
2 Roquefort cheese 1 809
3 Salami 1756
4 boiled sausage 1 379
5 Clams boiled 1 202
6 Kamchatka crab boiled 1072
7 Chees Feta 917
8 Salted herring 870
9 Sea scallop, cooked 667
10 raw mussels 286
11 Chicken egg, fried 207
12 Sour cream fat-free 141
13 Chicken drumstick baked 123
14 Pollack baked 110
15 Ryazhenka 105
The main sources of the substance in the diet are buns, bread, pizza, processed meats (sausages, sausages), snacks (chips, popcorn, crackers), cheese, eggs.
15 Vegan Foods High in Sodium [2]
No. Product mg per 100 g
1 table salt 38 758
2 Tofu cheese fermented 2873
3 Canned green olives 1 556
4 Spirulina dried, powder 1048
5 Soy protein isolate powder 1005
6 Canned olives 735
7 Breadcrumbs 732
8 Sauerkraut 661
9 Rye bread 603
10 Dried mint 344
11 Raw seaweed 233
12 dried mango 162
13 Fresh New Zealand spinach 130
14 fresh coconut water 105
15 raw celery root 100
Top 100 Natural Sources of Sodium
Pink, Himalayan and some other types of salt are advertised as superfoods. You should be wary of such statements - they contain useful additives in scanty amounts.
Daily Sodium Recommendations for Children, Men and Women
The body needs about 500 mg of the mineral per day to perform all the necessary functions, but most people consume about 9 g daily. [3]
The rate of sodium intake per day depending on age
Life period Age Men and women (g)
Children 1-3 years one
Children 4-8 years 1.2
Children and adults 9-50 years old 1.5-2
adults 51-70 years old 1.3
adults 70+ 1.2
The tolerable upper intake limit for children and adolescents 1 -13 years of age is 2200 mg and for adults over 14 years of age is 2300 mg. Exceeding the norm increases the risk of adverse effects, especially those associated with hypertension. Scientists note that compliance with these recommendations does not provoke iodine deficiency, the main source of which remains iodized salt.
[four]
The daily sodium requirement is reduced for some people:
• all African Americans;
• hypertensive patients;
• diabetics;
• people with chronic kidney disease.
The daily requirement is increased for some athletes. First of all, this applies to those who train a lot for endurance in the heat.
Top 8 Health Benefits of Sodium
1. Regulates the liquid level. One of the main advantages of the substance is balancing the osmotic pressure in the body by changing the amount of fluid in the cells. [5, 6]
2. Controls blood pressure. Supports the required number of heartbeats, but only as long as the
consumption does not exceed the norm. An excess of the mineral causes serious complications.
[7]
3. Improves brain function and keeps the mind sharp. The brain is very sensitive to changes in the level of sodium in the body - its deficiency is manifested by confusion, lethargy. [eight]
4. Relieves muscle spasms. Painful contractions of muscle groups, similar to cramps, occur during the hot summer months due to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance. Sodium-rich juices and liquids prevent this problem. [9]
5. Removes carbon dioxide. Sodium plays an important role in the removal of excess carbon dioxide - it helps to remove it from the tissues to the lungs. [ten]
6. Balances the ratio of ions. Sodium is associated with chlorides and bicarbonates. It maintains a reasonable balance between the two kinds of positively and negatively charged ions.
7. Controls glucose absorption. It facilitates the absorption of glucose by cells, promotes smooth transport of substances through cell membranes throughout the body. [eleven]
8. Supports acid-base balance. The mineral affects the proportions of acid-base phosphates in the body and thereby controls the functioning of the kidneys, the frequency and volume of urination. [12]
Interaction of sodium with minerals
Sodium and potassium are closely related but have opposite effects:
• excess sodium increases blood pressure;
• a high dose of potassium removes sodium, relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
The body needs more potassium than sodium. The optimal ratio is 4:1 or 3:1. But in the diet of most people there are opposite proportions. [13] There is also a sodium-calcium relationship—a sodium load increases its excretion in the urine. The reverse process can also occur in the body. [14, 15]
Sodium in medicine - where it is contained and what it treats
The mineral is a part of many medicines for their better assimilation, dissolution in water. For example, effervescent tablets include the element bicarbonate. Such drugs have hidden risks for people with kidney and heart disease. Sodium also neutralizes stomach acid, which is why it is added to medicines to treat heartburn and indigestion (dyspepsia). And it is also part of nasal sprays, injection solutions, electrolyte complexes, which are prescribed for diarrhea, vomiting.
5 scientific studies and interesting facts about sodium
1. It may come as a shock, but salt is addictive. Scientists have found evidence that it stimulates the brain, like cigarettes and drugs - the more salty foods you eat, the more you crave it. The discovery explains why nuts and chips cause salt cravings. [16]
2. Insufficient salt intake is associated with increased levels of "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides. Studies conducted with the participation of 12,210 patients with and without hypertension confirmed this fact. Contrary to expectations, the low-salt diet increased cholesterol levels by 2.9% and triglycerides by 6.3%. [17]
3. The concentration of sodium in the blood is associated with the survival of patients after heat stroke. Abnormally low and high levels of the mineral are observed in humans after overheating. Deficiency is more common, but less likely to result in death, and can be considered an independent prognostic factor - one-year survival among such patients is higher. Therefore, the measurement of the concentration of the substance is necessary for the correct conduct of electrolyte resuscitation. [eighteen]
4. Reducing salt intake in children protects against hypertension later in life. Scientists have confirmed that the prerequisites for hypertension and other chronic diseases are laid at an early age, as well as eating habits. High salt load in childhood inevitably leads to high blood pressure in adulthood. Experts believe that it is not enough to reduce the content of the mineral in school lunches - you need to minimize its use until the age of 20. [19]
5. Salt hunger provokes dopamine withdrawal. Sodium deficiency impairs cognitive function, causes fatigue and symptoms of depression. Depleting it also causes lasting changes in the neural circuits that code for the value of salt, which ultimately increases cravings for salty foods. [twenty]
Potential Harm of Sodium - Side Effects and Health Risks
• Increases water retention. The kidneys are not always able to filter the excess mineral from the blood. When it accumulates, the body retains excess water to reduce the concentration of the substance in fluids. This leads to swelling and bloating. [21]
• Harms the cardiovascular system. Excess water in the body puts extra pressure on the heart and blood vessels, causing high blood pressure. The onslaught causes the walls of the arteries to become thicker, harder. It is more difficult for blood to move through them, which becomes the main cause of a heart attack, stroke. [22, 23]
• Causes headaches. Oversalted food causes the expansion of blood vessels in the brain, which can cause severe headaches, migraines. [24]
• Increases the likelihood of kidney disease. A salt diet puts more stress on the kidneys, forcing them to process more calcium and excrete it in the urine. These processes lead to the formation of kidney stones. [25]
• Causes osteoporosis. The more salty foods a person consumes, the more calcium the body loses through urination. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, the body will begin to take it from the bones, which will make them fragile, brittle. [26]
• May cause stomach cancer. Scientists have proven that an increased risk of stomach cancer is associated with salt. It affects the mucous membrane and becomes especially dangerous in the presence of Helicobacter pylori. [27, 28]
Simple Ways to Reduce Salt Intake
Making changes to your diet is simple - you need to eat less bread, processed meats, processed foods and more fresh vegetables, fruits with a high content of potassium. Nutritionists, nutritionists advise resorting to some tricks:
• reduce the consumption of sauces;
• season dishes with herbs and salt-free spices;
• do not put a salt shaker on the table.
But the easiest way to reduce your salt intake is to reduce the number of calories in your diet. [29] Symptoms of sodium deficiency
Hyponatremia is rare and mostly occurs with diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, or certain medications. Among her symptoms:
• confusion,
• forgetfulness,
• lack of energy.
In severe hyponatremia, nausea, vomiting, headache, convulsions, and muscle twitching begin. [30, 31] Symptoms of excess sodium
Hypernatremia develops both with the use of a large amount of the mineral, and with dehydration, insufficient water intake. The body signals a problem with the following symptoms:
• thirst
• fatigue,
• headache,
• nausea,
• loss of appetite.
In severe cases, there are convulsions, irritability. [32] Interaction of sodium with drugs
Salt intake should be reduced while taking lithium, tolvaptan, didanosine, high blood pressure medications, and corticosteroids. For those who think they can't make it, the good news is that cravings for salty foods are acquired. You can "re-educate" your taste buds and teach them to love unsalted food.
Although sodium is an essential nutrient, it can lead to heart attack and stomach cancer. People with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and overweight are especially susceptible to it.
Expert comment
Tatyana Eliseeva, nutritionist, nutritionist
If you are not taking these medications, you are in good health, and you are eating a balanced diet, then you do not need to worry about side effects. Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes and seeds are low in salt. Eating them raw or after heat treatment without salting, you protect yourself from many diseases.
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An extended HTML version of this article is available on the edaplus.info website . Sodium (Na) - Body & Health Importance + Top 30 Sources
Tkacheva Natalia, phytotherapist, nutritionist
Eliseeva Tatyana, editor-in-chief of the project EdaPlus.info
E-mail: tkacheva.n@edaplus.info, eliseeva.t@edaplus.info
Received 01.02.2022
Abstract. The article discusses the main properties of sodium ( Na ) and its effect on the human body. A systematic review of modern specialized literature and relevant scientific data was carried out. The best natural sources of sodium are indicated . The use of the mineral in various types of medicine and the effectiveness of its use in various diseases are considered. The potentially adverse effects of sodium on the human body under certain medical conditions and diseases are analyzed separately.
