Why is sodium bad for me?

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Jocampgrl
Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have never tracked sodium before mfp. I've seen a general assumption that it's bad for me but why? Does anyone know the science behind it? How my body reacts?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    It is an essential mineral...however, too much sodium (often accompanied by too little potassium) throws off your electrolyte balance and can lead to bloating, etc. Excessive sodium does bad things if you are hypertensive...if I have too much sodium and in particular, if I'm not balancing that out with about 1.5 times more potassium, my heart feels like it's going to fly out of my chest.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    From what I've read, only about 1 in 7 of us has hypertension and should worry about our sodium intake. Is your blood pressure ok? If so, I wouldn't worry about it.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    High dietary sodium may promote vasoconstriction in some people. This article has some interesting reasons why http://www.healthknot.com/salt_health.html
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    From what I've read, only about 1 in 7 of us has hypertension and should worry about our sodium intake. Is your blood pressure ok? If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

    this.

    if you dont have problems with blood pressure or your kidneys then you're fine.
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
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    Too much sodium causes dehydration and can make your heart work harder because it can constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Don't worry too much about it, but do be conscious of how much salt you are taking in. That "flushed" feeling after eating way too much sodium is very uncomfortable.
  • Jocampgrl
    Jocampgrl Posts: 59 Member
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    Thank you all. This is helpful info
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
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    I have never tracked sodium before mfp. I've seen a general assumption that it's bad for me but why? Does anyone know the science behind it? How my body reacts?

    Sodium isn't bad for you. It's a necessary mineral. Eating too much salt, which contains sodium, can cause you to retain fluid. A small number of people are salt-sensitive; if you are, excess sodium can raise your blood pressure.

    If you mostly stay away from processed and fast foods, which may have a lot of salt or monosodium glutamate (MSG) added to make them taste better, you shouldn't have to worry about taking in too much sodium.

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