Explain to me sodium in your own words??

gel91

Hi, I want people to explain/tell me what sodium is/does, I got the rough idea it keeps water inside your body (i think?!) but then why does drinking more water get rid of it?

I think sodium may be to blame for a recent raise in weigh! I was under my cals every day as I mostly am but had high sodium 2000-3000 each time and I weighed myself after a high day the next morning and was up 4lb and now i've got rid of 3lb of it by watching my sodium (i think thats why anyway!) and my weigh in day is tomorrow, well ive accepted i wont be losing anything but i dont wanna note down a gain either.

i have been slacking on my water drinking lately drinking maybe 3-6 cups rather than 12 like i used to.

so what is sodium? what is it to you and how can i combat this devil if i go to high? and is that the reason for my gain the other day?

Katiemarie4488

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=625

nisijam5

Sodium and water are attached to each other. They like to be balanced. So, if sodium is high, you will hold water. If sodium is low, you will shed water.

wickedcricket

salt is sodium but all sodium is NOT salt. Sodium is a neccessary nutrient for our bodies, to eliminate ALL sodium from your diet would cause a deficiency and illness.
Ask your dr if you have special dietary requirements - this is NOT a medical site, only opinions.
A good general rule is to limit processed food and ADDED salt, drink lots of water (NOT drinks with sodium added) and get some cardio exercise 3 or 4 days a week.
One suggestion I learned here is to divide your body weight in half & drink that many ounces of water EVERY day.

esherwood2

Well first of all sodium is in everything so there is no way to get around it. However, I found that when I ate to much sodium I would retain water. I could tell by how my rings fit on my hands. Since then, I have made an effort to eat lower sodium foods and I actually feel better. I also don't drink as much water as I need to so when that happens we are not flushing out our system. That could definitely be part of your weight gain.

SkinnierHealthierMe

Yikes. I know too much sodium is bad for you... but I was eating those Healthy Choice meals, they're like 90% freaking sodium. I was looking at my food diary like, say what?!

I have since decided to make my own meals for lunch at work, and not rely on sodium/salt packed frozen delights.

leomom72

bump..i wanna read these, but busy now

marycmeadows

Sodium is in pretty much all food - but is very high in processed/packaged foods (soups, soda, ramen noodles, frozen dinners - even 'healthy' ones) and fast foods. You need a certain amount of sodium, but recommended is about 1500mg per day. Too much sodium makes you retain water - it's essentially salt. Your body does need it, but in small amounts. It will make you hold water weight - and make it look like you are 'gaining' weight. Especially if you eat it later in the day! Drinking a lot of water helps flush it out of your system.

lupemele

Do you add extra salt to your food or is that based on what you are eating daily? The salt shaker use to be my best friend!! I would add salt to everything! One day I read an article from Jillian Michael!! who said if you are hitting a plateau or just can't lose anymore weight try decreasing your sodium intake. Well I did just that! It was amazing how quickly I lost more weight! My shoes were loose my rings were falling off! Sodium causes so much swelling! even during my workouts my hands would swell and I never knew why! Well, I stopped putting salt in my food cold turkey and now I can see the difference!! I also do not eat foods high in sodium....TV dinners are packed with tons of them so I still eat them but look at the sodium so are chips (Baked) and nuts....hope that helps!

karo224

this sodium is the bain of my exsistance......i did not realize until coming on here exactly how much sodium is in all processed foods. i am still over on most days but have drastically reduced it by trying to not eat things that are processed. it makes you retain water and yes gain much weight....it also raises your blood pressure and many other harmful things. the water flushes it from your system and i drinks lots of water each day to make sure i do flush the sodium i take in each day. i drink anywhere from 12-24 glasses a day.

gel91

Thanks for all the replies

Drink HALF my body weight?? Really? thats gotta be alot, i'm 202lb! how much is that in oz??

And nope, I actually hate salt and have never ever added it to anything I eat I don't actually have it in the house so it must be coming from what I'm eating, on one particular bad day I'd had fajitas and chicken.

Never thought to check sodium really but I am gunna now.

And I tend to have my dinner at 8:30-9 ish so quite late!

KLo924

These resources may be helpful for learning about sodium:

From the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284
From the U.S. Dept. of Health: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/Chapter8.pdf

Your sudden gain and loss may well be due to sodium. Keep in mind that you can only process so much sodium. You can't really flush it all out by drinking a ton of water one day, but drinking enough water regularly will help regulate a number of issues in your body.

Good luck!

PS: It doesn't take long to get used to putting less salt on things, eating foods with less sodium, etc. Try restricting your intake for a bit and I bet foods will start to taste better on their own within a couple weeks
PPS: Sodium is not found in all foods, as someone above suggested. However, there are different types of sodium that can sneak up on you since sodium is a part of salt and many other things (e.g. sodium bicarbonate is baking soda and is in baking powder; and many other sodium compounds are used for thickening, preservation, etc.)

Aussie4870

i am always watching my sodium. i dont add salt to food anyways, as i prefer to add fresh herbs and i love Mrs Dash!

i am getting really good at reading food labels before i even put whatever it is in my shopping trolley...

also, i pretty much only drink water, though i do have the occassional Crystal Light with lunch for something sweet to go with my chicken and salad...

i always put on a pound or two if i eat something that is heavy with salt, even a cup of chicken noodle soup...

gel91

oh yes i had a tin of chicken soup the other day and it was 1000 sodium i wasnt impressed i never thought to check untill i'd put it in my diary

brendalyne

Drink HALF my body weight?? Really? thats gotta be alot, i'm 202lb! how much is that in oz??

202 divided by 2 is 101 ounces of water. Divide 101 by 8 to figure out how many 8 oz glasses of water to drink, and you get 12.625 glasses. An 8 oz glass of water SOUNDS like a lot...but really.....get out a measuring cup.....8 oz really isn't that much.

And you certainly don't drink it at one sitting.....just drink it slowly throughout the day. I have a 32 oz insulated mug that I take with me everywhere, and sip on it continually.....and never have any problem drinking 3 of them a day.....which is equivalent to 12 glasses.

nisijam5

One way to get the water is in is San Pelligrino sparkling water, splash of pom juice and squeeze some fresh lime juice....you get your fluids and some antioxidants from the pom and lime

KLo924

One way to get the water is in is San Pelligrino sparkling water, splash of pom juice and squeeze some fresh lime juice....you get your fluids and some antioxidants from the pom and lime

Careful with the sparkling waters, though. Some - like Pellegrino - have sodium in them. Most plain ol' soda waters/club sodas don't.

nisijam5

One way to get the water is in is San Pelligrino sparkling water, splash of pom juice and squeeze some fresh lime juice....you get your fluids and some antioxidants from the pom and lime

Careful with the sparkling waters, though. Some - like Pellegrino - have sodium in them. Most plain ol' soda waters/club sodas don't.

San Pellegrino has 10mg per 8 fl. oz (237 ml)...I'm wondering if using a water softener adds sodium to our tap water now that I think about it.

gel91

thanks very much brenda sounded like more!! i used to drink 3l a day which is 12 cups i belive but i've just been slacking lately need to get back onto it.

so diet soda it says it contains 0 sodium so why are people so against it?? anyone know?

_Ben

Pharmacy Major here

Sodium primary function in the body is the Sodium Potassium pump. Pretty much, EVERYTHING you do, needs sodium. The Na-K+ pump is what allows you muscles to move, and pretty much every function, except the heart, which is moreso based of electric rhythms. Sodium is very important, extrememly.

Another thing to note is about sodium is its relation to water. The rule of thumb is water goes where Na (sodium) goes. In your kidneys, the center of bloodpressure and water control and filtration, if your body finds you have to much Na, your body filters it out. As more Na is filtered out, more H20 is filtered out aswell. Na is actually a great diuretic for this reason. If you believe you are holding to much water, increase your Na intake. This is the same reason drinking salt water makes you dehydrated, is the Na content is so high that your body ends up excreting more water than it absorbs.

In all honesty, sodium does not have to do a ton with your weight, it really doesnt. What it does have to do a lot with is your health. First off, more often than not, foods that are high in salt are high in fat and cholesterol. Fat obviously will effect your weight. Cholesterol, mainly Low Density ("bad") Cholesterol can clog your arteries, which can possibly lead to blood clotting. To much salt can thicken the blood, and with cholesterol narrowing your arteris, you could cause a clot in your blood, and even if that clot gets dislodged from the artery its in, it can get stuck in a much smaller vein/artery, especially capillaries, and cause pullmonary embellism, which can cause death.

Salt is not directly related to yhour weight, but definatly make sure your salt intake isnt to high. Also make sure its not to low either, as I said, besides oxygen and carbs/fat/protein, sodium is probably the most important nutrient to have in your body.

Hope that helps!

nisijam5

Pharmacy Major here

In all honesty, sodium does not have to do a ton with your weight, it really doesnt.

Hope that helps!

While, you are on target with everything you've written, I have I have to dispute this point here. People with congestive heart failure (CHF) monitor their weight to avoid complications from CHF. The main reason people come into the hospital is from sodium (salt) overload. They retain fluids and the fluid backs into their lungs. They are limited to a 1500 mg sodium diet. Most are not complient and are hospitalized many, many times.

_Ben

Pharmacy Major here

In all honesty, sodium does not have to do a ton with your weight, it really doesnt.

Hope that helps!

While, you are on target with everything you've written, I have I have to dispute this point here. People with congestive heart failure (CHF) monitor their weight to avoid complications from CHF. The main reason people come into the hospital is from sodium (salt) overload. They retain fluids and the fluid backs into their lungs. They are limited to a 1500 mg sodium diet. Most are not complient and are hospitalized many, many times.

Yes of course, as soon as you factor in any type of medical condition, ESPECIALLY heart conditions or hypertension, that totally changes. My point is all based off a person of heathly and stable condition.

lmarshel

Thanks Ben for some good info. I've always thought that the body can only retain so much water, so the sodium factor would not affect your weight THAT much. Of course, the larger the body the more tissue available to hold that water...and every body is different. But there are so many other things going on in your body to affect weight, the focus on sodium as related to weight is a little over-hyped in my opinion.

nisijam5

Thanks Ben for some good info. I've always thought that the body can only retain so much water, so the sodium factor would not affect your weight THAT much.

We had a patient on a lasix drip that took off 60 lbs of water weight. I realize this is the case with a bad heart. But, yes, your body can hold a lot of fluid when it not working properly

_Ben

Thanks Ben for some good info. I've always thought that the body can only retain so much water, so the sodium factor would not affect your weight THAT much. Of course, the larger the body the more tissue available to hold that water...and every body is different. But there are so many other things going on in your body to affect weight, the focus on sodium as related to weight is a little over-hyped in my opinion.

Glad I could help.

Also, as the original poster is a male, I didnt point this out, but for all the women here, remember, you hold a much higher water weight, and naturally more body fat. This is, as pretty much everything is when you learn anatomy, to help with child birth. This is (in part) why men are more easily able to lose weight, especially water weight, because womens body's naturally tell them they must retain a certain amount of weight. Of course factors like daily exercise, diet, height/build, and the biggest factor, testosterone, also greatly affect why males can more easily lose weight/eat more daily calories.

BrewerGeorge

One way to get the water is in is San Pelligrino sparkling water, splash of pom juice and squeeze some fresh lime juice....you get your fluids and some antioxidants from the pom and lime

Careful with the sparkling waters, though. Some - like Pellegrino - have sodium in them. Most plain ol' soda waters/club sodas don't.

San Pellegrino has 10mg per 8 fl. oz (237 ml)...I'm wondering if using a water softener adds sodium to our tap water now that I think about it.

Yes, a water softener will add sodium to your tap water, and you probably shouldn't be drinking it. (And I'm NOT one to usually say avoid sodium). Depending on how hard your water was to begin with, there can be significant amounts of sodium in the softened water.

A softener replaces calcium and magnesium with sodium at a 2:1 ratio (based on the atoms' relative charges). My water here in limestone-rich Indiana has 330 ppm total hardness, plus 77 ppm of sodium to start with (tested). That means it's 737 ppm of sodium coming out of the softener. That translates to about 185 mg of sodium per 8 oz glass. If I drank the 8 glasses that MFP recommends by default I'd be at almost 1.5 g/day already before food!

There have also been indications that drinking softened water can lead to prostate issues.

If you have an RO filter for drinking water, though, it removes all the sodium.

sweetheatha

I feel like I'm back in high school and you just asked me to write an essay lol. Sodium to me is something I never paid attention to until recently when I became very in tune with what I put in my body. Certain foods upset my stomach almost instantly, mostly fatty or fried foods...therefore I "try" to steer clear of them. When I eat something that is slightly high in sodium or if I add even a pinch of salt to the food that I am eating, I see a difference within 30 minutes to an hour. My fingers and toes swell up and become very uncomfortable and I can SEE my stomach retaining more water!!! For this reason, I avoid adding salt to anything for any reason!!! This could just be my personal experience but I know what works for me and what doesn't. I don't care what anyone is going to say about retaining water and sodium/salt not having anything to do with one another....this is how MY body reacts. If you feel that sodium is affecting you in a negative aspect, I suggest doing 1 of 2 things or both...talk to a NUTRITIONIST and/or keep a close eye on what foods you eat and how much sodium is in them. Obviously you cannot eliminate it from your diet but watch it for a week...then you will know how YOUR body processes it. And drink MORE water!!!! If you think you are drinking enough, drink MORE lol. I feel a million times better when I know I have exceeded what people "say" my body needs on a daily basis And water flushes all kinds of things out of your body so there is nothing better you can do for yourself than to drink up!

nisijam5

Yes, a water softener will add sodium to your tap water, and you probably shouldn't be drinking it. (And I'm NOT one to usually say avoid sodium). Depending on how hard your water was to begin with, there can be significant amounts of sodium in the softened water.

A softener replaces calcium and magnesium with sodium at a 2:1 ratio (based on the atoms' relative charges). My water here in limestone-rich Indiana has 330 ppm total hardness, plus 77 ppm of sodium to start with (tested). That means it's 737 ppm of sodium coming out of the softener. That translates to about 185 mg of sodium per 8 oz glass. If I drank the 8 glasses that MFP recommends by default I'd be at almost 1.5 g/day already before food!

There have also been indications that drinking softened water can lead to prostate issues.

If you have an RO filter for drinking water, though, it removes all the sodium.

Interesting....what's an RO filter? I have a filter on the frig...

BrewerGeorge

Yes, a water softener will add sodium to your tap water, and you probably shouldn't be drinking it. (And I'm NOT one to usually say avoid sodium). Depending on how hard your water was to begin with, there can be significant amounts of sodium in the softened water.

A softener replaces calcium and magnesium with sodium at a 2:1 ratio (based on the atoms' relative charges). My water here in limestone-rich Indiana has 330 ppm total hardness, plus 77 ppm of sodium to start with (tested). That means it's 737 ppm of sodium coming out of the softener. That translates to about 185 mg of sodium per 8 oz glass. If I drank the 8 glasses that MFP recommends by default I'd be at almost 1.5 g/day already before food!

There have also been indications that drinking softened water can lead to prostate issues.

If you have an RO filter for drinking water, though, it removes all the sodium.

Interesting....what's an RO filter? I have a filter on the frig...

RO=Reverse Osmosis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

You fridge filter is probably just a carbon filter to remove chlorine and improve taste.

nisijam5

RO=Reverse Osmosis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

You fridge filter is probably just a carbon filter to remove chlorine and improve taste.

Got it!! Thanks, I'll keep that in the back of my mind....

Lift_hard_eat_big

Pharmacy Major here


Another thing to note is about sodium is its relation to water. The rule of thumb is water goes where Na (sodium) goes. In your kidneys, the center of bloodpressure and water control and filtration, if your body finds you have to much Na, your body filters it out. As more Na is filtered out, more H20 is filtered out aswell. Na is actually a great diuretic for this reason. If you believe you are holding to much water, increase your Na intake. This is the same reason drinking salt water makes you dehydrated, is the Na content is so high that your body ends up excreting more water than it absorbs.

In all honesty, sodium does not have to do a ton with your weight, it really doesnt. What it does have to do a lot with is your health. First off, more often than not, foods that are high in salt are high in fat and cholesterol. Fat obviously will effect your weight. Cholesterol, mainly Low Density ("bad") Cholesterol can clog your arteries, which can possibly lead to blood clotting. To much salt can thicken the blood, and with cholesterol narrowing your arteris, you could cause a clot in your blood, and even if that clot gets dislodged from the artery its in, it can get stuck in a much smaller vein/artery, especially capillaries, and cause pullmonary embellism, which can cause death.

I never understood why people here say sodium makes you retain water? I know when I eat salty foods I urinate like a horse.