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Most of us need to cut back on sodium

March 15, 2009 1:06 am

TOO LITTLE SODIUM can kill you instantly, and too much can kill you slowly. Getting the right amount of sodium is a little tricky, especially with so much salt tucked away in popular processed foods.

Sodium deficiency is extremely rare, but it can be fatal. In the last few years, a few athletes running marathons or cycling long distances have died of low sodium levels. These unlucky folks lost a lot of sodium by sweating, and then drank too much water--so much water that they gained weight, creating a relative sodium deficiency.

Most of us, though, have the opposite problem. We take in lots of sodium from foods and don't exercise or sweat much. That combination can cause high blood pressure over time.

"Half of all heart attacks and two-thirds to three-quarters of all strokes can be explained by high blood pressure," said Dr. Paul Whelton. Whelton, of Loyola University Health System, spoke at the American Dietetic Association's conference last year.

Almost one in three American adults has high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Whelton suggested that even modest 2-point drops in blood pressure would help Americans.

"You'd expect a million deaths to be prevented," he said.

There are many ways to reduce blood pressure:

Exercise

The DASH eating plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and lean protein foods

Quitting smoking and alcohol

Medications.

And then, of course, there's that other way--reducing sodium.

A FEW EXCEPTIONS

The average person needs at least 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day to function, according to Institute of Medicine guidelines. National and international groups recommend limiting sodium to 2,000 to 2,400 milligrams a day to prevent high blood pressure.

Most Americans consume 3,600 milligrams of sodium a day, far more than they need, even if they exercise moderately for an hour a day.

However, extreme heat and high altitudes can make people sweat out more sodium. So, athletes who work out vigorously for more than two hours a day may need much more sodium, up to 10,000 milligrams, said exercise physiologist Bob Murray.

Murray spoke at the American Dietetic Association conference last year. He said some people sweat more than others, drenching their clothes and losing up to 10 pounds of sweat in one hour.

"Salty sweaters have a white residue on their clothes," he said.

These people need more sodium, either as salt on their foods or from sports drinks.

But most of us get more than enough salt in foods even without using the salt shaker.

WHERE THE SALT IS

All foods contain sodium, as does most drinking water.

Processed foods have the most sodium. Canned soups may have over 1,000 milligrams of sodium, or half of an average person's daily needs.

Vegetables are often canned with salt, as are pickles and sauerkraut. Sausages, ham and lunch meats are loaded with sodium. Many canned sauces are high in sodium. Often, rice or noodle mixes have seasoning packets that are loaded with sodium.

Fast foods and other restaurant meals are often high in sodium, too.

For people with high blood pressure, I recommend fresh foods. That's because fresh foods have less sodium. Fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, meats, chicken and fish are all low in sodium.

Milk has moderate amounts of sodium, similar to the amount found in sports drinks. Milk can even be used like a sports drink after a workout for those who need sodium, according to one study.

If you want to use less salt, try seasoning your food with lemon juice, garlic, curry powder or other herbs and seasonings.

SALT AND GOITERS

One woman I know worried that if she stopped salting her food, she'd get thyroid problems. She knew that most salt is fortified with iodine, a mineral used by the thyroid gland.

Iodine deficiency is a problem in the developing world, but luckily, it's virtually unheard of in the United States today, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The richest sources of iodine are saltwater fish, shellfish and seaweed (such as that used in Japanese dishes). Iodine is also found in eggs and milk, because chicken and cow feed is fortified with iodine. Fruits and vegetables have iodine, too.

Even in areas around the Great Lakes, where the soil doesn't have much iodine, and thus food grown there is low in iodine, people are fine. They buy food grown all over the country and the world.

Many brands of multivitamin-mineral supplements also contain iodine. Check the labels for details.

But most of all, check labels for sodium. For most of us, eating less sodium will protect our hearts.

Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.