What happens when we do not have enough sodium in our diets?

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aaliceinw
aaliceinw Posts: 747 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new to all of this and am learning new things everyday. Someone mentioned that I must check my macro nutrients because the way weight ain't moving (don't check my diary today I actually ate fried chips!)

Anyway, I noticed that I usually have hardly an sodium intake, based on what the MFP report? I thought that was a good thing.

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Here is a place to start:

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm
  • aaliceinw
    aaliceinw Posts: 747 Member
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    Thank you Branstin
  • Rlyn444
    Rlyn444 Posts: 27
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    It is actually very important to have sodium in your diet, the main cause is that it controls your blood pressure but also it helps your nervous system. People who are sodium deficient can actually cause nerve damage over a period of time.
  • hollyrayburn
    hollyrayburn Posts: 905 Member
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    Low sodium levels can also cause mental issues.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    edited January 2015
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    aaliceinw wrote: »
    I'm new to all of this and am learning new things everyday. Someone mentioned that I must check my macro nutrients because the way weight ain't moving (don't check my diary today I actually ate fried chips!)

    Anyway, I noticed that I usually have hardly an sodium intake, based on what the MFP report? I thought that was a good thing.

    No. Water weight (which can be caused by an excessive amount of sodium/new exercise/period/other reasons) can mask losses OR you're not weighing and logging as tightly as you should OR you haven't given it enough time. Your macro mix is not going to affect your weight loss. Calories in, calories out.

    Can't see your diary so I don't have any specific ideas for tightening your log. How long have you been in a stall?

    ETA: The American Heart Association believes that even healthy adults should limit their sodium intake to 1500 mg.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    It's hard to be low in sodium, I find
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Most people need 200-500 of sodium, so it's pretty difficult to go under that. Google "hyponatremia" and you'll find something on it.
  • aaliceinw
    aaliceinw Posts: 747 Member
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    Rlyn444 wrote: »
    It is actually very important to have sodium in your diet, the main cause is that it controls your blood pressure but also it helps your nervous system. People who are sodium deficient can actually cause nerve damage over a period of time.

    Thank you.
    hollyrayburn wrote: »
    Low sodium levels can also cause mental issues.

    Do you have any links or articles I can go to to find out more?


    obscuremusicreference wrote: »

    No. Water weight (which can be caused by an excessive amount of sodium/new exercise/period/other reasons) can mask losses OR you're not weighing and logging as tightly as you should OR you haven't given it enough time. Your macro mix is not going to affect your weight loss. Calories in, calories out.

    Can't see your diary so I don't have any specific ideas for tightening your log. How long have you been in a stall?

    ETA: The American Heart Association believes that even healthy adults should limit their sodium intake to 1500 mg.

    Thank you. I responded via in box before realising I could use the quotes here.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    No worries. I'm glad the scale started moving again!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,135 Member
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    Just throwing this out there, not accusing OP of anything. Some food entries in the database don't have all the nutritional information listed. People input based on what they want to know/see, so you'll see many foods with only the calories, or calories and carbs, or calories plus the 3 macros (fat, carbs, protein).
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    Just throwing this out there, not accusing OP of anything. Some food entries in the database don't have all the nutritional information listed. People input based on what they want to know/see, so you'll see many foods with only the calories, or calories and carbs, or calories plus the 3 macros (fat, carbs, protein).

    Yeah, I started to use a different listing for the salsa I use that had no sodium. Please point me to this magical sodium-free salsa because I would do everything but bathe in it.
  • notallwhowander
    notallwhowander Posts: 6 Member
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    You need sodium in your diet because sodium creates an action potential (allowing you to flex a muscle, keep in mind your heart is a muscle) potassium allows that muscle to relax (hence not enough potassium can lead to charley horses). These are electrolytes. The goal is not to be super over on your sodium, but to watch it and make sure it's in healthy range.
  • aaliceinw
    aaliceinw Posts: 747 Member
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    Thanks guys. Your replies are very useful in helping me understand more about things I just took for granted would always work.

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