Sodium is a component of salt. About 2.5 grams of salt contains 1.0 grams of sodium.
Despite the fact that salt is the main source of sodium in food, sodium is also included in other food components. Such as sodium bicarbonate used to make muffins or sodium glutamate used as both an aromatic additive. Excess sodium in the diet can harm your health. Sodium is an important risk factor for increasing blood pressure, significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke.
In particular in the UK, most people eat much more salt than they need. It is recommended to reduce the average salt intake to 6.5 grams of salt per day, which is equivalent to 2. 5 gr.
According to the law, the sodium content should be indicated on food labels, but some manufacturers neglect this rule and indicate the amount of salt.
The role of sodium in the human body A small amount of sodium is necessary for our health. All liquids of the human body including blood contain sodium. Sodium plays a big role in maintaining the water balance in the body. Sodium takes part in the generation of electrical impulses in the nerves and muscles, as well as provides a gradient on the surface of cells, which ensures the absorption of nutrients. Excess salt in the diet is absorbed by the body. Control of the optimal sodium content in the blood is provided by its excretion through the kidneys with urine. Some part of this element is lost through the sweat.
The need for salt is closely related to the amount of water consumed. In extreme situations, an insufficient amount of sodium can lead to muscle spasms. This is especially common after intensive physical exercise in hot climates. People suffering from kidney diseases and very young children can not tolerate consumption of large amounts of sodium, because their kidneys can not cope with its excretion. For this reason, do not salt food for young children.
Sodium sources Sodium is present in various food additives in the form of sodium glutamate (flavoring), sodium saccharin (sweetener), sodium nitrate (preservative), sodium ascorbate (antioxidant) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as well as in certain medicines (antacids). However, most sodium in the diet is contained in salt.
The level of sodium and chloride is relatively small in all foods that have not undergone special treatment. Nevertheless, salt is used as a preservative and flavor for several centuries. It is also used as a dye, filler and in order to control the fermentation process (for example, when baking bread). For this reason, it is added to foods such as ham, sausages, bacon and other meat products, smoked fish and meat, canned vegetables, most varieties of butter, margarine, cyr, unsweetened foods, snacks and cereals that we eat on breakfast.
In the UK, 75% of the salt in the diet comes from specially processed food.
The Consequences of Excessive Salt Consumption for Health The average sodium intake in the UK is 3. 7 grams per day (equivalent to 9 grams. 5 grams of salt or two teaspoons), which greatly exceeds the norms of salt intake necessary to maintain life in a hot climate. The recommended sodium rate is 1.5 grams per day. Excess salt in the diet is associated with an increased likelihood of gastric cancer and is harmful to the kidneys, especially if they have any disturbances of the urinary system. Excess salt is one of the leading lifestyle factors that leads to hypertension.
In the event that hypertension is asymptomatic, it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Modern recommendations for the prevention of hypertension have shown that the most effective diet for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure should contain a minimum of sodium and fat and include large amounts of low-fat dairy products (source of calcium), fruits and vegetables (source of potassium). Thus, it is important to change the diet as a whole, and not to focus on any of its components. Other important positive factors include physical activity, normal body weight.
Medicus. En.