It Is The Sodium That Kills, And Not The Salt

Salt is sodium plus chloride. Both are minerals. Salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It's that 40% that causes so much concern among nutritionists today. When you ingest salt, the sodium and the chlorine ions in sodium chloride separate from each other, making the sodium and chloride available for your body to use.

Sodium creates electrical impulses essential for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heartbeat regulation. Chloride has a separate job in your stomach, where it helps to break down food as a component of hydrochloric acid. The sodium and chloride in table salt work together to maintain the right amount of water in your body, including blood volume and pH balance.

The balance between sodium and other ions also regulates the pressure of cells and is related to your blood pressure. Because sodium levels are so critical to so many chemical reactions in your body, the amount of sodium you eat or drink has important implications for your health. High blood pressure (hypertension), strokes, and kidney disease have all been associated with excessive sodium intake. Just as nutritionists warn against the dangers of sodium, understand that sodium is important--too little of this good thing may also be harmful.

Many people think of sodium to be coming mostly from salt, but in reality, sodium is practically everywhere. With salt or without salt, food items we consume may still have lots of sodium. Processed foods, sea foods, soft drinks, frozen and canned goods - all of them contain sodium, which is more than enough for our dietary allowance. The reason why salt is mentioned so often is because it may be the largest addition of sodium people experience in their diet. Therefore, it remains the biggest target for reduction while on a low sodium diet. There are different kinds of salts for human consumption, such as sea salt, refined salt, iodized salt, garlic salt, celery salt, rock salt, etc.

Do not be deceived! Salt is salt. No matter how expensive salt is, whether it comes in crystals or grains, from the sea, all contain an equally high sodium chloride content as table and cooking salt. Sea salt has boomed in popularity in restaurants and supermarket aisles across the country. Many chefs say they prefer it over table salt.

Manufacturers are using it in potato chips and other snacks because it's “all natural,” and not processed like table salt. And some health-conscious consumers choose it because it contains minerals like magnesium. Each of the above-mentioned characteristics may set sea salt apart from table salt, but in one other very important respect there's absolutely no difference between the two: sodium content.

Both sea salt and table salt contain about 40 percent sodium. Unfortunately, many consumers haven't gotten that message. It's very important for people to be aware that sea salt has as much sodium as table salt, One of the key ways of maintaining a heart-healthy diet is to control your sodium intake. If you are consuming more sea salt than you otherwise would because you think it has less sodium, then you may be placing yourself at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, which raises your risk of heart disease. Aside from certain alternatives to sodium salts such as Potassium salt, all salts are equally damaging to our health, don't be deceived by the claims made by salt manufacturers.

Use fresh herbs that do not contain sodium or little salt as seasoning alternatives.Another way to reduce sodium is to be more mindful of food labels. Choose foods that are naturally low in sodium or look for specially formulated versions that have taken special care to reduce salt as much as possible without sacrificing flavor. Also, watch out for monosodium glutamate (MSG). This is considered a flavorful spice that, like table salt, is available in a stand-alone version or is mixed as a part of a packet of spices. It is high in sodium and should not be used in excess. Remember, even though a food is labeled as being healthy, be sure and check the sodium content to make sure. By sticking to a low salt and low sodium diet, you will be on your way to leading a healthy lifestyle

The recommended amount of consumption for sodium per day is 2,400 mg. Such a recommendation is for average healthy adults, because people with predisposed tendencies towards cardiovascular diseases should consume less. That 2,400 mg of sodium can be found in one teaspoon of salt. This means, at least in theory, an average healthy individual needs to consume about one teaspoon of salt daily to fill their dietary allowance and 1,500 milligrams if you are 51 years or older.

However, it is not that easy, because sodium is also present in other food items, and it is essentially sodium that you should be avoiding. When people are cutting back on salt in their diets, what they really mean is that they are concerned with their sodium intake, because it is the sodium that kills, and not the salt. It should be mentioned, that even when people avoid consuming salt, they may still get a lot of sodium from other sources. So in effect, staying away from salt is not the only solution.

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(Nutritionist)
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