People who douse their meals in salt may have a shorter life than those who rarely reach for the saltshaker. Almost all populations are consuming too much sodium. Almost 75% of the sodium we consume comes from the salt and other ingredients that companies add to packaged and restaurant foods. Less than 15% comes from the salt that people add when cooking or at the table.
The global mean intake of adults is 4310 mg/day sodium (equivalent to 10.78 g/day salt). This is more than double the World Health Organization recommendation for adults of less than 2000 mg/day sodium (equivalent to < 5 g/day salt).
An estimated 1.89 million deaths each year are associated with consuming too much sodium. Reducing sodium intake is one of the most cost-effective measures to improve health and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.
Sodium Addiction
The primary contributors to dietary sodium consumption depend on the cultural context and dietary habits of a population.
Under the headline “drug addiction” the medical world has exclusively been interested in psychoactive drugs. For diagnosis of substance addiction. There are seven criteria and fulfilling at least three of them signifies addiction. When studying salt intake according to these criteria it is seen that most of them are fulfilled, showing that sodium chloride, which is not classified under the psychoactive drugs, is capable of producing addiction. Namely: at the beginning of salt abstinence, anorexia and slight nausea during meal time (withdrawal symptoms); about 1000-fold difference of per capita salt consumption between several human societies, and life-long continuation of discretional salt intake behavior (high dose and very long duration of use); difficulty of restriction of salt intake (unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control); lack of success of salt restriction campaigns in hypertensive patients (substance use despite health problem). Additionally, the decrease of salt preferences of individuals whose salt intake is restricted for some time, and vice versa, signifies tolerance. The primary health effect associated with diets high in sodium is raised blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Meniere’s disease, and kidney disease.
Sodium is an essential nutrient necessary for maintenance of plasma volume, acid-base balance, transmission of nerve impulses and normal cell function. Sodium deficiency is extremely unlikely in healthy individuals.
Sodium in Your Diet
As a food ingredient, sodium has multiple uses, such as for curing meat, baking, thickening, retaining moisture, enhancing flavor (including the flavor of other ingredients), and as a preservative.
Some common food additives—like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium nitrite, and sodium benzoate—also contain sodium and contribute (in lesser amounts) to the total amount of “sodium” listed on the Nutrition Facts label.
A main source of sodium is table salt. Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, such as milk, meat, and shellfish.
A lot of sodium is added during processing and preparation. Many foods that do not taste salty may still be high in sodium. Large amounts of sodium can be hidden in canned, and convenience foods. And sodium can be found in many foods that are served at fast food restaurants.
It is often found in high amounts in processed foods such as breads, processed meat, and snack foods, as well as in condiments (e.g., soy and fish sauce).
Sodium and Blood Pressure
Sodium attracts water, and a high-sodium diet draws water into the bloodstream, which can increase the volume of blood and subsequently your blood pressure. Hypertension makes the heart work too hard, and the high force of the blood flow can harm arteries and organs (such as the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes).
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. In addition, blood pressure generally rises as you get older, so limiting your sodium intake becomes even more important each year.
Sodium Effects on Respiratory System
Sodium can result in water retention, making it more difficult to breathe. People who eat a lot of salt are more likely to have long-term bronchitis.
The role of salt intake as a risk factor for asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, wheezing, and other bronchial symptoms has been addressed in a number of studies. These studies indicate an increased risk of bronchial symptoms with high consumption of salt.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019. If COPD patients continue to consume high quantities of salt, they will likely experience trouble breathing as the extra water acts similar to excess fat when located around the diaphragm.
Hearing Impairment
Too much sodium in your diet can make you retain water, which increases the pressure in your ears. It can also interfere with your internal equilibrium and balance mechanisms in the inner ear. It can make symptoms worse in the inner ear.
Meniere’s disease is a balance disorder characterized by vertigo (spinning) or dizziness, tinnitus (ringing/buzzing sound in the ear), pressure in the ear and hearing loss. Meniere’s disease is thought to be related to an abnormal build-up of fluid in the inner ear. This fluid moves over cells in the inner ear that sends information to the brain about position of the head in space and sound.
Fluid in the inner ear contains specific concentrations of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. In Meniere’s disease, the volume and concentration of salts and fluid can fluctuate, this may cause irreversible damage to the inner ear with time.
Symptoms of Meniere’s disease include vertigo (usually lasts several hours), often associated with dizziness, nausea, vomiting and imbalance, tinnitus (a ringing/buzzing sound in the ear that isn’t associated with an external noise, and blocked ear. Hearing loss can fluctuate.
Other Health Conditions
Excessive sodium intake has also been linked to other conditions, such as: heart failure, kidney problems and kidney stones, oedema (fluid retention), stroke, stomach cancer, thickening of heart muscle, and osteoporosis.
A high level of salt intake increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, which may also contribute to osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture.
Tips to Reduce Sodium Intake
Eat mostly fresh, minimally processed foods. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Skip or limit frozen dinners and other high-sodium fare such as pizza, fast food, packaged mixes, and canned soups or broths. Choose fresh or frozen skinless poultry, fish, and lean cuts of meat rather than those that are marinated, canned, smoked, brined, or cured.
Choose low-sodium products or “no-salt-added" versions of foods.
Cook with little or no added sodium/salt. Don't use softened water for cooking and drinking since it contains added salt.
Boost flavor with herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends instead of salt or salty seasonings like soy sauce, spice blends, or soup mixes.
Limit the use of commercial sauces, dressings, and instant products. Common foods that contain MSG include Asian foods, noodles, and seasonings.
Remove the salt shaker/container from the table.
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