Sodium (Salt)

What exactly is sodium?

One of the two electrolytes contained in salt is sodium. Sodium is essential for the proper functioning of our bodies.

The sodium included in foods is sufficient to keep our bodies at healthy levels. However, we use salt in our cooking and eating, and it is also found in many processed goods. This can lead to excessive salt consumption.

High blood pressure, which is the second biggest cause of kidney disease, can be caused by eating too much salt.

High-sodium foods and kidney disease

Salt dehydrates you and causes your body to retain fluid. Blood pressure can be raised by having extra fluid in your body. Your kidneys have to work harder to filter blood when you have high blood pressure. This can cause kidney damage over time.

A lot of fluid in your body puts a lot of strain on your heart, reduces your protein levels, and makes breathing difficult. It's critical to take steps to limit excess fluid buildup and hence control blood pressure if you want to improve your health.

If you have high blood pressure, eating a low-salt or no-salt diet can help. Other approaches to control your blood pressure include increasing your daily physical activity and using blood pressure medications as advised by your doctor. Taking steps to maintain a healthy blood pressure can help prevent the renal disease from worsening.

Tips for reducing salt

Choose no salt added canned foods (only if you do not need to limit potassium)
When cooking, use herbs and spices to add flavor
Prepare meals at home
Avoid fried foods (the breading has salt and many times fried foods are salted right out of the fryer)
Drink plenty of water (soda and sports drinks have added salt)
Choose no salt added snacks (like no salt pretzels)
While eating out, choose steamed and grilled dishes over fried or blackened foods
If you're eating out, ask your server to ask the chef to leave the salt out of the dish
At Chinese restaurants, order from the "diet" menu.

Foods with added salt

The following foods and drinks normally have additional salt unless they are specifically labeled as low-salt or low-sodium:

Soda and sports drinks
Ice Cream
Frozen dinners and snacks
Fast food and food from restaurants
Packaged snacks (chips, pretzels, nuts, etc.)
Bakery items (bread, bagels, pies, cakes, etc.)
Condiments (ketchup, salad dressings, hot sauce, soy sauce, etc.)
Canned and jarred foods (tomatoes, beans, corn, pickles, etc.)
Seasonings and spices with salt (garlic salt, celery salt, seasoned salt, taco seasoning, seafood seasoning, etc.)