Most of us have heard the advice to “cut down on salt,” but do we really know why and what it actually means? Salt and sodium are closely related, but they are not the same thing. Table salt is made up of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. So when you sprinkle salt on your food, it’s the sodium that affects your body the most.
Sodium is essential for several vital functions in the body. It helps balance fluids, supports nerve function and allows muscles to contract properly. However, consuming too much sodium can have serious consequences. High sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney problems.
The main part is that sodium isn’t just in the salt that we use everyday. Processed foods, snacks, sauces and ready-to-eat meals often contain high amounts of sodium, even if they don’t taste salty. That’s why paying attention to nutrition labels is so important.
This also means that diseases such as hypertension are not only related to higher salt intake but also to other food. And to manage it, our food doesn’t have to be bland. Choosing the food we eat smartly by reading labels for sodium content and making small changes such as decreasing the amount of high sodium snacks in our diet can also make a huge difference.
What are some of your suggestions to manage sodium intake in our daily lives?
MBH/AB