Rationale for Low Sodium Diet

Americans have long had a love affair with salty foods, even though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate 2 out of 3 adults need to cut back on their sodium intake. What most people may not realize is that a high-sodium diet can contribute to a host of diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, osteoporosis, Mnire's disease and edema.

Considerations

The main source of dietary sodium isn't from a salt shaker, it's packaged, processed and restaurant foods. In fact, sodium in such food accounts for up to 80 percent of a person's daily sodium intake. But other sources add up, too. Some commonly-used products with sodium include baking soda, baking powder, antacids, laxatives and cough remedies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American consumes 4,000 mg of sodium a day, far more than the maximum recommendation of 2,300 mg, which is the amount of sodium in just one teaspoon of salt. The CDC reports that 69 percent of Americans---people over 40, African-Americans, or those with certain medical conditions---need to cut back even more, to no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.

Sodium and Heart Disease

In the U.S., 16 million adults have heart disease and 5.8 million are estimated to have had a stroke, most precipitated by high blood pressure. When daily sodium intake is lowered from 4,000 to 2,000 mg, blood pressure falls, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Reducing sodium can also help enhance the effectiveness of medications used for high blood pressure.

Sodium and Kidney Disease

Doctors often prescribe diets low in sodium for their kidney patients, including those with kidney stones and renal disease. In the case of kidney stones, it's believed a low sodium diet can reduce the risk of future stones since high urine sodium has been linked to the condition. Those patients with forms of chronic kidney disease have to control sodium to keep blood pressure down and to prevent swelling.

Sodium and Osteoporosis

A study published in the October 1995 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported a link between a high sodium intake and a reduction of bone density which can lead to osteoporosis. The study concluded that the amount of calcium lost as a result of eating a high-sodium diet can be up to 900 mg a day.

Sodium and Mnire's Disease

Mnire's disease is an abnormality of the inner ear causing a host of symptoms, including severe dizziness and tinnitus. The disease can't be cured, but symptoms can be controlled by reducing the body's retention of fluids through a low-salt or salt-free diet and no caffeine or alcohol.

Sodium, Edema and Overall Health

Reducing sodium helps prevent the collection of fluid in the lower legs or abdomen, a condition known as edema, which can also cause overall weight gain. Consuming highly-processed foods laden with salt also tends to reduce the amount of healthy foods in the diet. If you cut out the processed foods, substitute natural foods like fruits and vegetables naturally low in sodium but full of vitamins and minerals which contribute to overall good health.