Nutritionist-Dietitians' Association of the Philippines

• Sodium (Na) is a mineral element most commonly found in salt or sodium chloride.  It  plays a major role in the regulation of water balance in the body, in maintaining nerve and muscle function.
• Sodium in food is either naturally present or added during processing or cooking like  table salt, baking soda/powder,or monosodium glutamate. Processed foods contribute about  75 percent of the sodium in a typical diet.

• Evidence reveals that excessive Na intake increases blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke and kidney disease.
  
  
• High Na intake increases calcium excretion resulting in reduced  bone density.  
  
  
• Excessive intake of salt-preserved food is associated with increased risk of stomach, nasopharyngeal cancers.

Ratio of sodium to potassium has been observed to blunt the effects of salt on blood pressure, to reduce risk of kidney stones, and possibly decreasing bone loss with age.

                                 
Excess salt in a prepared dish can be countered by potassium
in added vegetables and fruits.  Aim for about 4700 mg potassium/day.

Sodium Content of Commonly Used Foods

Sodium Myths

You can tell what foods are high in salt because they taste salty.
Some foods that are high in salt don't taste salty at all. Sometimes this is because they have lots of sugar in them, for example some biscuits and breakfast cereals. One’s taste buds cannot be trusted. For example, a bowl of instant noodle soup can have five times more sodium than a single-serving of chips or crunchies. Hence, reading labels and checking sodium levels are a must.  Many foods do not taste salty but in fact are loaded with salt.

I can't be eating too much salt because I don't add it to my food.
Since 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces, ready meals, processed meats,  and biscuits, it's easy to eat too much salt without adding any.  In other words, one or two servings of some foods could contain more than the recommended daily maximum for adults (6g salt).

Food has no flavor without salt .
If one is used to foods that are high in salt, one could miss it when you first cut down. This is because  taste buds get used to high levels of salt.  But  taste buds can get used to eating less salt in a few weeks and then one is more likely to enjoy food with less salt, or without any salt at all. If a food contains lots of salt this can hide more subtle flavours, so one might prefer some foods with less salt when taste buds have had time to adjust.

Much salt is lost from the body during summer due to  increased perspiration. Some people believe that under such situations it is important to increase the intake of salt. Experts say NO, there is no need for increasing  salt intake during summer because only a minimal amount of salt is lost through perspiration. Instead, one should be drinking plenty of water to keep  oneself hydrated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between sodium and salt?
Salt is a combination of the two minerals, sodium( Na) and chloride ( Cl) . Salt is comprised of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. One level teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2,400 mg of sodium. Other Na-containing compounds are: baking soda, baking powder, Na alginate,( thickening agent) Na nitrate/nitrite ( preservative) , disodium phosphate ( emulsifier/leavening agent), monosodium glutamate  (“ umami” flavor provider) . 

What is the difference between table salt and sea salt?
Table salt  is  usually mined from large rock salt beds, where salt companies scoop out mineral deposits and then refine it for sale to the public. Table salt may have added iodine. Whereas,  sea salt is naturally produced by the evaporation of sea water with little or no processing at all. It has more flavor and contains slightly less sodium than table salt  because of the presence of many other trace elements. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, texture and processing, not their chemical makeup.
 
Who are salt-sensitive persons?
Normally the kidneys excrete excess dietary sodium. However, salt-sensitive persons ( up to 50% of adults) tend to retain excess sodium ( above 3000 mg daily) instead of excreting it.  If such persons have family history of hypertension, they are more likely to develop hypertension. A German study using standardized psychological questionnaires  showed mental stress to increase blood-pressure response and to play a role in the development of salt-sensitive hypertension
( Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 1999 Aug;49(8):284-9).  Although not everyone will benefit, sodium and salt intake must be moderated because many do not know whether or not they have hypertension or whether they are  salt-sensitive.

Are there salt-sensitive children?
Salt sensitivity in children is low and rises with increasing age through adulthood
(Simonetti 2009). Low-birth-weight (LBW) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children  are more likely than those of normal birth weight to show blood pressure increases in response to a high-salt diet when tested in late childhood or adolescence.

Is MSG high in sodium?
MSG contains only one-third the amount of sodium as salt (13 percent vs. 40 percent) and is used at much lower levels. It is a food additive often made synthetically using bacterial fermentation , used in many foods to reduce the total amount of sodium by 20-40 percent,while keeping its flavor enhancing effect called “ umami.” . If one develops any unpleasant symptoms following MSG ingestion, avoid foods that contain this additive found commonly in Chinese food.

How can I tell how much sodium is in the foods I eat?
Learn to read labels on food packages. Nutrition Facts are found on the back panel of the label.  They indicate size per serving, number of servings per container, calories and nutrient composition per serving size. Look for sodium.  For fresh products , inquire from any registered dietitian in your area or contact the Nutritionist- Dietitian Association of the Philippines ( NDAP), tel. no. (632) 845-1651.

References/Links
www.ncbi.nlm.gov
www.umext.maine.edu
www.CalorieKing.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium
Lance Armstrong Foundation www.livestrong.com
www.truthinlabeling.org