How sodium affects the human body - the consequences of deficiency and excess

Sodium is hazardous to health

Consuming too much sodium in your diet has many consequences and can lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart disease. With the increase in consumption of fast foods and processed foods, sodium intake has increased over the years, especially in the United States and other "Western" countries.

Fresh produce contains very little sodium. When foods are processed, the amount of sodium in a given amount of food increases significantly. For example, a plain baked potato contains about 12 mg of sodium; but when processed and made into hash browns or potato chips, the same serving size contains over 500 mg of sodium!

How much salt is in foods?

If you cook the dish yourself, you can estimate how much salt you put in it. But for finished domestic products this is completely unrealistic. Why? If in Western countries it is mandatory to indicate the salt and sodium content in products, this information is given even for one standard serving, then in our country they only indicate the fact of the presence of salt in the product. There is no mention of its quantity. Meanwhile, prepared foods are one of the main sources of salt. Manufacturers do not spare it: it is very cheap and can act as a flavor enhancer. The result is often an overdose. For example, an examination of bread carried out by NP Roskontrol in a test laboratory showed that the concentration of salt in ordinary bread is very high. Typically 1.3-1.4 g of salt in every 100 g of bread. This means that if a person eats in accordance with the recommendations of the so-called consumer basket, then with only one bread he will receive more than the daily allowance of salt. After all, the daily norm of bread in this basket is 468 g, and, therefore, it contains as much as 6-6.5 g of salt. This is a little more than half a loaf or loaf. Such nutrition is extremely harmful for persons with heart disease, kidney disease, or those prone to hypertension. And there are a lot of such people. In addition, this is unacceptable for children. There is a special technical regulation for them, which stipulates that the salt content in bread should not exceed 0.5%, that is, 0.5 g per 100 g of bread. This is 2.6-2.8 times less than in real bread. But it is difficult to find such children's bread on sale.

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Sodium Really Benefits You

Although sodium gets a bad rap, it is important to include it in our diet. Sodium is considered an essential mineral and is essential for the proper functioning of our body. It is necessary for our body to maintain the correct acid-base balance in body fluids; helps maintain the required amount of water in the blood and tissues of the body; and this is necessary for the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.

It is recommended that both men and women consume about 1,500 mg of sodium per day for proper body function. Consuming too little sodium is also bad for us and causes side effects such as weakness, poor appetite, muscle cramps, headache and swelling.

Lack of sodium in the human body

If your stomach is churning, think about sodium.

If you nevertheless managed to “wash” this substance from the body and do not replenish its reserves, then the body can signal you about this with the following signs:

• cramps in the stomach;
• convulsions;
• nausea and vomiting;
• gas formation;
• reduction in body weight due to lack of water;
• increased fatigue;
• muscle weakness;
• dizziness;
• memory problems;
• skin rashes;
• susceptibility to infectious diseases.

As you can see, sodium deficiency, although rare, can still occur as a result of long-term dry fasting, mono-diets, especially salt-free diets, or unwisely organized raw food diets.

This is also facilitated by increased sweating, which can be very dangerous during prolonged heat.

Try to replenish sodium reserves and regulate the body's water-salt balance using Dr. Batmanghelidj's method or by drinking natural mineral water.

Chronic diarrhea or prolonged vomiting are factors that can contribute to excessive sodium excretion from the body. If this phenomenon is prolonged, the person may develop neuralgia.

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We consume too much sodium in our diet

According to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adult men and women in the United States consumed between 3,000 and 4,659 mg of sodium per day. It is recommended not to exceed 2300 mg per day, so some people consumed more than double the recommendation!

The sodium content of processed and fast foods is already very high. But even adding salt to unprocessed foods can be very dangerous. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium, which is the maximum recommended amount for the entire day. So, if you add salt to food, you may want to measure it first.

The importance of chemical elements for the human body

Our body, as we know, consists of cells, which in turn include organic and inorganic compounds that perform different functions. Inorganic chemical elements are important for the coordinated functioning of the entire body, so a deficiency or excess of each of them can lead to the formation of diseases.

There are 81 inorganic elements in the human body. All of them provide vital functions:

• They are building materials for body organs.
• They form compounds with vitamins and hormones.
• Participate in metabolism, as well as in biochemical processes.
• Take part in the synthesis of enzymes and proteins.

Excess, deficiency or imbalance of micro- and macroelements, respectively, causes various kinds of diseases, depression, and fatigue. The reasons for this are environmental problems, negative environmental influences, harmful work, poor lifestyle, poor nutrition.

This disease is called microelementosis; it affects primarily children and adolescents, people with chronic diseases of the endocrine system and gastrointestinal tract, and breastfeeding women.

All chemical elements are divided into two groups: microelements and macroelements. The latter are also called the main ones, of which the body of an adult weighing 55–65 kg should receive about 100 mg per day.

This group includes: chlorine, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, nitrogen. The daily intake of all microelements is approximately 70 mg. These are iron, manganese, iodine, zinc, bromine, selenium, copper, fluorine, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum.

A person gets the necessary substances from food. But their content in water and food is closed in a cycle: soil - plants - animals - humans. If the soil is poor in some elements, it means that less than the norm will enter the human body (even if the products are high-quality and natural). In this case, additional consumption of nutritional supplements is required.

Various dosage forms of multivitamin complexes include all types of vitamins and chemical elements, but have their own disadvantages. They are found in the form of tablets or capsules, as well as in the form of powder, syrup or effervescent drinks.

The first group often has an unpleasant odor and can irritate the gastric mucosa. Adults don’t always like the second one in this form, but it’s good to give to children. When buying multivitamins, you should pay attention to the condition of the packaging, because supplements based on sulfates, selenites, and carbonates have poor solubility and digestibility.

It is better to choose those containing bioorganic salts, for example magnesium lactate, because in this form the minerals are included in the metabolism. It is also worth noting that the more elements a food supplement contains, the more strongly some substances will displace others:

1. Calcium (Ca) displaces phosphorus and zinc.
2. Iron (Fe) interferes with the absorption of copper and zinc.
3. Manganese (Mn) displaces magnesium and copper.
4. Zinc (Zn) blocks the absorption of iron and copper.
5. Copper (Cu) displaces zinc and molybdenum.

Also, in addition to the necessary elements, minerals that are hazardous to health can enter the human body.

Aluminum (Al). It is dangerous because its excess affects the nervous system, reduces memory and attention. Its doses penetrate the skin with powders, talcum powder, creams, deodorants, and long-lasting lipstick. We obtain a significant amount of Al from food cooked in aluminum cookware.

Barium (Ba). An excess of this element leads to weakness, shortness of breath, hair loss, arrhythmia, hypertension, rhinitis, and damage to the eyelids. It is received by people working in industry, as well as those who have frequently undergone X-ray examinations using barium sulfate.

Lead (Pb). It is a dangerous heavy metal that attacks bones, muscles, brain and kidneys. Due to prolonged exposure, the nervous system suffers; in children this manifests itself as hyperactivity and loss of orientation in space.

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When is there too much sodium and when is there not enough?

The concentration of sodium in our body is maintained at a constant level by several hormones: aldosterone and angiotensin, which promote the return of sodium from the filtrate, and vasopressin, which increases the excretion of sodium in the urine.

The daily sodium requirement is about 0.5-2 g , an amount typically obtained only from food. Therefore, there is no need to add salt to prepared dishes. Poor eating habits associated with the use of salt, abuse of salty foods can lead to excess sodium in the body, i.e. hypernatremia, the consequences of which are:

• Hypertension. Sodium in the body increases blood volume, which leads to increased pressure in the blood vessels, which is fundamental for the development of cardiovascular diseases.
• Cellulite. Sodium aggravates the problem of cellulite, as it increases the stagnation of fluids in the tissues.

Although the issue of excess sodium is now more pressing, the risks associated with a lack of this mineral should not be underestimated.

The most common causes of hyponatremia are: excessive consumption of low-sodium water, excessive fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea, and diseases of the adrenal glands that alter the production of aldosterone, which regulates blood sodium concentration.

Hyponatremia manifests itself with very serious symptoms:

• Arterial hypotension. A deficiency of sodium in the blood leads to decreased blood volume and decreased blood pressure. Blood flows slowly, which in turn causes fatigue and weakness because the tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients.
• Neurological deficits. Sodium plays an important (decisive) role in the transmission of impulses between cells of the nervous system and muscles. Its deficiency can cause changes in the activity of the central nervous system, resulting in nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, hallucinations, and muscle dysfunction.

Biological role of sodium

The functions of sodium in the body are such that it simply cannot be replaced by any other element. Its biological role is exceptional and unique:

• Sodium is the main extracellular element; together with potassium and chlorine, it maintains cell turgor, osmotic pressure in the body, and regulates water-salt metabolism. It is responsible for the processes underlying the survival of the organism. • Prevents the formation of edema and excess fluid accumulation • Participates in the transport of various biologically active substances and individual chemical elements into and out of the cell • Important for maintaining optimal blood pressure • Participates in maintaining heart rate • Participates in the transport of carbon dioxide molecules • Carries out signal transmission processes in the nervous system, and also provides “communication” between cells of other tissues • Indirectly participates in protein metabolism • Important for the conversion of some pancreatic enzymes into an active form • Improves the ability of the gastric mucosa to secrete gastric juice.

Why does excess sodium occur?

Sodium itself does not have a toxic effect, but its excess is harmful because it disrupts metabolism. Sodium “poisoning” is extremely rare, but chronic, slight excess sodium is quite common.

The reason for this is the irrationally composed menu. The average person exceeds their sodium requirement by 1.5-2 times. This is not difficult to achieve, given that salt is contained even in bread and, even more so, is present in other products and dishes as an indispensable spice.

To reduce your sodium intake, you should limit your salt intake.

Why does sodium deficiency occur?

When listing the factors leading to an increased need for sodium (see the section a few paragraphs above), almost all the causes of its deficiency were mentioned. In addition, a lack of a mineral and the need to use sodium may arise in a situation where there is not enough of this element in a person’s diet. This is rare, but it does happen. More often, a low sodium level occurs in people who are on a salt-free diet and at the same time subject themselves to significant stress, which is accompanied by intense sweating and loss of sodium.

Sometimes sodium deficiency is an “occupational disease.” For example, workers in hot shops who are exposed to elevated temperatures for several hours a day, drink a lot and sweat a lot can suffer from this metabolic disorder.