Table salt, a type of sodium, is an important mineral, but too much of it can cause high blood pressure and has a strong relationship to metabolic syndrome. How much is too much? And too little? Does it really matter? Understand the role of salt and how to make better food choices.
First, What Exactly Is Salt?
Table salt is a chemical structure, chemically known as sodium (Na) chloride (Cl). The terms salt and sodium are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Sodium can combine with several other elements in addition to chloride. Many of these combinations are referred to by chemists as "salts." So table salt (NaCl) is just one of many salts - but it is by far the salt that concerns us most.Why You Should Care
Sodium is a mineral we need to have regularly for normal body functions, just like other vitamins and minerals. Table salt is our primary source of dietary sodium, but most Americans eat too much of it, which can affect your health.Calculating How Much Salt You Eat
When you read the amount of sodium on a food label you can figure out the amount of salt it contains by multiplying the sodium by 2.5. So if the label says .5 g or 500 mg of sodium per portion of food, then 2.5 x .5 means it contains 1.25 grams or 1,250 mg of salt in that portion.
Why is Sodium Important and How Much Do We Need?
Sodium is an important mineral that our bodies need for maintaining fluid balance, for the contraction of muscles and to aid in the conduction of nerve impulses. Our bodies have a requirement of approximately 0.2 grams or 200 mgs. of sodium per day. We consume an awful lot more than that. The American Heart Association recommends a daily limit of 2,300 mgs.
To give you a visual guide of what the levels mean:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 mg sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 mg sodium
- 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 mg sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt = 2,400 mg sodium
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) = 1,000 mg sodium
The average American consumes about one to three teaspoons of salt per day.
How Will I know if My Diet is Too High in Sodium?
A blood test will not tell you if you are eating too much sodium because blood sodium levels are kept within a fairly constant range by your kidneys. The kidneys regulate fluid and electrolyte balance and blood pressure. When the sodium levels get too high in your blood, your kidneys enact a feedback mechanism that raises your blood pressure. This elevated pressure allows your kidneys to dump the excess sodium from your system into your urine.
The best way to know if your diet is too high in sodium is to take a look at what you are eating, and estimate how much sodium is in that food. (See the list of foods and their sodium contents on page 2). If you're like most Americans, you're getting a lot more than 2,300 mg/day.
Some people are more salt sensitive than others, but there are very good reasons for everyone to decrease the amount of sodium they consume. This is especially important for people who have metabolic syndrome and already are grappling with high blood pressure. Consumption of high levels of sodium can cause your body to retain large amounts of water. If this happens you may notice swelling of your hands, feet and ankles. It can also worsen conditions such as osteoporosis (thinning of your bones) asthma, kidney disease and has been associated with cancer of the stomach.
As people age, they become even more sensitive to sodium which can lead to serious health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, water retention and congestive heart failure.
Sources of Sodium
Most foods in their natural state contain sodium —- but in small amounts. If we could stick to eating foods in their most natural state, we wouldn’t have the problems that we do. Most of the sodium in our diet has been added by the commercial food processors. It also can find its way into our food when we add it during cooking. It is important to read the labels of the foods we buy to see how much sodium we are getting. The sodium may show up on the labels as Na, soda, MSG, sodium or disodium.
Some Common Types of Sodium in our Foods Are:
- Monosodium glutamate (also called MSG) is sodium and glutamic acid. This is used in many restaurants and by food processors as a flavor enhancer
- Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- Baking powder.
All the substances named in this section are, in fact, other kinds of sodium-containing salts.
Comparisons Between High and Low Sodium Food Sources
Look at the difference between the amount of sodium contained in fresh food that you prepare and a pre-packaged variety in these examples:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats that you cook with 1 tsp cinnamon – 5 mg of sodium
- 1/2 cup instant oatmeal – 54 mg of sodium
- 1/2 cup of beans, cooked from dried or frozen, without salt - 5 mg of sodium
- 1/2 cup of beans, canned – 400 mg of sodium
There are many other chemical food additives that are used as flavor enhancers, preservatives etc. which have sodium in their name. So watch for these on the food labels.