High Sodium Foods & Recommended Daily Sodium Intake

Sodium is a mineral that plays an important role in maintaining fluid balance in the body. In addition, it also helps deliver the nerve impulses that affect muscle contraction and relaxation. However, if your blood contains too much sodium, blood volume will increase as sodium would attract and bind water. By doing so, the heart has to work extra hard to pump to drain the blood volume increases. As a result, the pressure in the arteries will increase.

Currently, our tendency to excess sodium intake becomes very high. Almost every day we can not be separated from the food that has been processed and contain high sodium, such as soups, broths, canned vegetables, sauces, and much more. Not to mention the habit of adding salt at each meal or snack containing salt snack.

Indeed, there are still differences of opinion about whether the correct salt restriction can lower blood pressure. Several studies have managed to obtain some evidence to support this theory. Other studies including DASH-Sodium study published in 2001 showed that by reducing sodium lowers blood pressure.

High sodium foods

Excessive salt intake has been linked to various health risks, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. But often do not realize the high salt content in some foods. The recommended salt intake for adults is 2,400 mg per day, and for people who are at a higher risk becomes increasingly smaller number is 1,500 mg per day. To avoid consuming high sodium foods everyday, you must pay attention to foods list below.

1. Bread: Bread does not taste salty, but it has a high sodium content. Whole wheat bread is the best type of bread because they contain the lowest levels of salt.

2. Frozen foods: Processed meats such as sausages and nuggets have a high salt content. The amount of sodium in these foods can vary widely. Some of which can reach 500 mg persajian.

3. The dressing on the salad: salad containing vegetables seem healthy, but when presented with the dressing, the levels of sodium in the diet is to be increased. One tablespoon of dressing can contain 214 mg of sodium.

4.Sereal: Type certain cereals such as corn flakes contains approximately 300 mg sodium per small bowl. Yet when eating cereal, people often do not only eat a small bowl.

5. Canned Beans: A small bowl of canned beans contains about 1,008 mg of sodium are almost insufficient half of the recommended daily limit of sodium.

6. Spaghetti sauce: On average, instant spaghetti sauce can contain 1,000 mg of sodium. So pay attention when cooking pasta, you should prepare spaghetti sauce by yourself, as it will significantly reduce the sodium content.

7. Soft drinks low in calories: This drink was lower in calories than the usual soft drinks, but the higher sodium content. There are 28 mg of sodium in 350 ml drink diet soda, regular soda drinks while only 15 mg.

8. Canned Soups: One canned soup can contain 1,106 mg of sodium. If you should choose canned soup, then choose which are labeled "low sodium".

Recommended daily sodium intake

Daily sodium intake below, taken from snap.edu and released also on US government site (click to enlarge).

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program by the National Institutes of Health advised all Americans to limit sodium no more than 2,400 milligrams per day. The available evidence stating that limiting sodium is natural and safe. Many health experts and organizations supporting low-sodium diet.

If you have high blood pressure and sensitive to sodium, reducing sodium intake can help lower blood pressure. By limiting sodium and changing lifestyle, so you may not need medication. If you are already using drugs, with reduced sodium, then these drugs will be more effective.