Sodium is an element present in many foods of every person: bread, dairy products, fats, vegetables, meat, and spices. Providing them to the body is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system and maintaining aqua balance.
What is sodium?
Sodium (Na) is a chemical element. It occurs naturally in nature – it is found in all living organisms on earth. More often it is one of many minerals.
The provision of sodium is very important for humans, as it is responsible for the functionality of cell membranes, as well as maintaining proper blood pressure levels and proper functioning of the circulatory system.
Since sodium is involved in conducting nerve impulses, its deficiency can have very negative consequences, even leading to a stroke.
It is an electrolyte because as potassium, magnesium, or calcium, it is responsible for maintaining the internal water management in proper condition. It comes with various everyday foods and is excreted directly in urine, feces, and sweat.
It is also responsible for maintaining the acid-base balance, a violation of which can lead to dangerous acidosis, which, among other things, will lead to osteoporosis. Sodium in the human body is mainly found in the blood, but it is also present in bones.
Its proper level ensures the proper absorption of various nutrients, glucose, and amino acids.
It is believed that the average daily sodium requirement of a healthy adult is from 1300 to 1500 mg. At the same time, this amount should not fall below 700 mg per day, as this may disrupt the proper level of lipids in the blood.
What foods contain sodium
Currently, a large amount of salt, and therefore sodium, is found in many foods. These are, first of all, ready-made semi-finished products or dishes and snacks with high processing. Sources of sodium include:
- meat and cuts,
- canned food,
- pickled vegetables,
- cheeses,
- olives,
- bread,
- fatty, smoked fish,
- butter, lard, margarine,
- chocolate,
- carbonated drinks and alcohol,
- soy sauce.
The most popular source of sodium is salt, so all products containing it should be included in the diet of people who are struggling with a deficiency of this element.
Excess sodium in the body
An even more common condition associated with sodium is its excess, in other words, hypernatremia. First of all, this is due to the large number of products consumed with a high degree of processing: chips, ready meals, pickled meat, sliced, fried food, and many others.
A small excess of sodium is sometimes caused by improper nutrition, but if this is a temporary condition, the body of a healthy person can cope with it. However, a prolonged violation of the sodium-potassium balance in the body can cause hypertension, kidney stones, osteoporosis, an increased risk of stroke, stomach cancer, and obesity.
Serious hypernatremia may occur in the presence of other concomitant diseases and disorders. Excess sodium primarily causes swelling caused by the retention of large amounts of water in the body. Symptoms that can be observed simultaneously include nausea, drowsiness, and even coma or uncontrollable muscle tremors.