Can someone explain...

Nonibug

The importance of keeping your sodium low while dieting? I just read another thread about sodium intake and I do see it alot. But Im not sure about the WHY? I am an admitted salt-o-holic, although I have been buying more "low or reduced sodium" products, and I have stopped adding salt to everything I eat:ohwell: Im not going into shock or anything from reducing my salt lol, but I do wonder why its so important...

I dont have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or anything like that....and I drink at least 128oz of water EVERY DAY.

Can anyone explain this (in terms I can understand lol)? Thanks!

~Roni

Nonibug

The importance of keeping your sodium low while dieting? I just read another thread about sodium intake and I do see it alot. But Im not sure about the WHY? I am an admitted salt-o-holic, although I have been buying more "low or reduced sodium" products, and I have stopped adding salt to everything I eat:ohwell: Im not going into shock or anything from reducing my salt lol, but I do wonder why its so important...

I dont have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or anything like that....and I drink at least 128oz of water EVERY DAY.

Can anyone explain this (in terms I can understand lol)? Thanks!

~Roni

3babybeans

Sodium can make your body retain water, which will show up as lbs on the scale...from what I understand. Maybe someone else can expalin further but that's my limited knowledge on the subject. :bigsmile:

ErinRNinMaine

I'm assuming it's just to avoid fluctuations in fluid gain which results in weight gain. Unless someone else knows something, I would guess that reducing sodium doesn't help with weight loss as fluid loss doesn't really count.

RachVR6

Here....

The Sodium Issue
Current health advice warns against too much sodium. This warning is based on research suggesting that eating high amounts of sodium may contribute to the development of high blood pressure in certain people. High blood pressure may then lead to heart disease, kidney disease or stroke.

Why Not Eliminate Sodium from the Diet?
Sodium is an absolutely necessary mineral for the human body. Without it, nerves and muscles would cease to function, the absorption of major nutrients would be impaired, and the body would not be able to maintain adequate water and mineral balance.

How Does Sodium Contribute to High Blood Pressure?
In a complex way, increased salt intake causes more fluid to be retained in the blood vessels. This increased volume of blood requires the heart to work harder to pump blood to all the tissues in the body. Increasing the blood’s volume within the enclosure of the circulatory system is one way that salt increases blood pressure.



Salt may also help elevate blood pressure through the action of the arterioles. Arterioles are blood vessels that dilate and constrict to regulate blood pressure and blood flow. By contracting under the influence of sodium, arterioles effectively increase the resistance to blood movement and lessen the volume of blood that is returned to the heart. This action also increases blood pressure.



Other mechanisms linking sodium with hypertension are less well understood. The extent to which each person responds to high intake of salt is probably genetically determined. Some people are more susceptible to the effects of sodium than others, and sodium sensitivity appears to increase with age.

***At present, there is no accurate test to determine who may be sensitive to the effects of sodium. This is why the population overall is advised to limit sodium use.***

Certain characteristics can help identify individuals who may develop high blood pressure. These risk factors include:

A family history of high blood pressure
Elevated blood pressure readings (normal is less than 120/80 mm/Hg)
A high resting heart rate (given the level of physical fitness)
A body mass index of 25 or higher. High blood pressure is a "silent" disease; it often has no symptoms. Be sure you and your health care provider monitor your blood pressure regularly.
Current research suggests a diet high in potassium and calcium may help lower blood pressure. Good sources of potassium include food from the fruit and vegetable group; good sources of calcium can be found in food from the dairy group. Include at least 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables and at least 3 servings of dairy items each day.

How Much Sodium is Recommended?
Recommended intake of sodium is 1000-3000 mg/day. This replaces your normal daily loss of sodium. You can meet this recommendation by eating a healthy, nutritionally well-balanced diet. In fact, just one teaspoon of salt (including sodium found naturally in food or added during preparation) is enough to meet this requirement.

http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/sodium.htm

firegirlred

Rach-Good answers. It's nice to be able to understand some of the physiology involved.

When you are working out, however, you NEED to take in more sodium. Sodium is crucial to the processes that allow for muscle contraction.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23578-sodium-how-much-is-too-much

http://www.velonews.com/article/6397

http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/hyponatremia2.html

http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Salt_and_athletes__Shake_it_or_leave_it_.htm

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Sodium_Salt.htm

http://www.saltinstitute.org/28.html

http://www.healthcastle.com/sports_nutrition_sodium.shtml

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23989-sodium

The following came from lessertess:
"I don't know what the recommendation is but I found this when I was doing other research...this is from an article in "Men's Health" magazine that was debunking some common food myths.

Myth number five: Salt causes high blood pressure and should be avoided

The origin: In the 1940s, a Duke University researcher named Walter Kempner, M.D., became famous for using salt restriction to treat people with high blood pressure. Later, studies confirmed that reducing salt could help reduce hypertension.

What science really shows: Large-scale scientific reviews have determined there's no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake. Now, if you already have high blood pressure, you may be "salt sensitive." As a result, reducing the amount of salt you eat could be helpful.

However, it's been known for the past 20 years that people with high blood pressure who don't want to lower their salt intake can simply consume more potassium-containing foods. Why? Because it's really the balance of the two minerals that matters. In fact, Dutch researchers determined that a low potassium intake has the same impact on your blood pressure as high salt consumption does. And it turns out, the average guy consumes 3,100 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day—1,600 mg. less than recommended.

The bottom line: Strive for a potassium-rich diet, which you can achieve by eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes. For instance, spinach, broccoli, bananas, white potatoes and most types of beans each contain more than 400 mg. potassium per serving."

Nonibug

Thanks so much for the help everyone!:flowerforyou: Sorry it took me so long to get to read this, but my oldest son was home from college this weekend so I was MIA all weekend!

~Roni

Phoenix_Rising

Roni, be mindful that although you may not have high blood pressure and may never have it, those you cook for/ eat with might have HBP, or one day have HBP. Your actions influence them too. My grandparents salt food without tasting it. My dad salts food without tasting it. My brother (age 10) now salts everything he eats, regardless of taste. No amount of nagging from my mom and I can change this habit in my dad (who has HBP), and Dad always defends my brother's salt usage. Although my brother has no BP issues now, I am convinced he will before he makes it out of high school.

I know this doesn't directly relate the the question you asked, but I wanted to mention it not only for you but for anyone else who may read this thread.