The “whys and hows” of reducing the amount of sodium in your body

Why Limit My Sodium Intake?

Everyone should try to limit the amount of sodium in his or her diet, for two primary reasons:

• A lower sodium level enables your heart to work more efficiently
• A lower sodium level helps lower your blood pressure

Sodium acts like a sponge to keep extra fluid in blood and body tissue.  This additional fluid creates more work for your heart and may result in shortness of breath or edema (swelling of your hands, feet, or face) and contribute to high blood pressure.

If you are taking diuretics, you have a third reason to limit your sodium intake:  a diet low in sodium enables this medication to work more effectively.

How much sodium is optimal?

If you need to be on a low sodium diet, limit your sodium intake to 2,000 mg per day.

Sodium, an essential mineral, has the chemical symbol Na (used on some food and medication labels).  You need some sodium to be healthy, but your body requires only a small amount – less than 200 mg a day.

The average American diet contains greater than 4,000 mg daily – 20 times the required amount!

How Can I Reduce the Amount of Sodium in My Daily Diet?

• Remove the salt shaker from the table!
• Do not cook with salt.
• Avoid ingredients high in sodium:
  • salts: table salt, sea salt, and garlic salt
  • baking powder and baking soda
  • sodium saccharin, brine, and MSG
  • any item with salt or sodium in its name
• Limit your total intake of milk and milk products – such as yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and sherbet – to no more than 2 cups per day.
• Drink bottled water if your tap water’s sodium content exceeds 100 mg per liter of water
• Watch your snacks.  Choose unsalted chips, popcorn, pretzels, and crackers.
• Choose the low-sodium preparation (when available) of over-the-counter drugs, such as Riopan (an antacid).
• Avoid McDonald’s and other fast food:  all fast food items are very salty.
• Season with a tasty alternative to salt:

• Skip processed foods:
  • Avoid canned foods, which are stored in salt as a preservative.  Before eating canned foods, rinse thoroughly in cold running water.  (Canned fruits are the only canned food stored in sugar rather than salt.)
  • Avoid luncheon meats – packaged or from the deli counter – and cheeses.
  • Avoid frozen dinners that list 400-600 mg of sodium per serving.
  • Avoid pickles, olives, and relishes.
  • Avoid Egg Beaters (low in saturated fats, but high in sodium).

What Do Food Sodium – Level Labels Really Mean?

What About Salt Substitutes?

Salt Substitutes – like Nu Salt, No Salt, Salt Substitute, and Mrs. Dash – are fine to use, but because some are high in potassium, check with your doctor first.

For Sodium-Reduced Recipes and More Information About Low Sodium Diets:

Cooking Without Your Salt Shaker, American Heart Association, Dallas, Texas.  To purchase, contact your local chapter of the AHA.

Craig Claiborne’s Gourmet Diet, by Craig Claiborne.  Ballantine Books, New York, New York.

The Fast-Food Guide, by Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., and Sarah Fritschner.   Workman Publishing, New York, New York.

The Barbara Kraus Sodium Guide to Brand Names and Basic Foods, by Barbara Kraus.  Signet Books, New York, New York.

Pass the Pepper Please, by Diane Reader, R.D. and Marion Franz, R.D.  Guidelines for anyone trying to reduce sodium intake – especially helpful for those with diabetes.  Available from the Diabetes Center, Inc., P.O. Box 739, Wayzala, MN  55391.

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