Sodium maintains the balance of fluids in your body. Too much sodium and you retain water, increasing your blood volume and forcing your heart to work harder to pump all that blood through your arteries, increasing the pressure. Restricting your sodium intake and changing the way you eat will reduce your risk of having heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, hypertension or kidney disease.
The DASH Diet
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is the basis of the USDA Food Pyramid. It's the only diet approved by the American Heart Association and The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It has been proven to lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks and recommends no more than 1,500mg of sodium per day. It's a balanced eating plan with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, high fiber and whole grains.
Understanding Ingredients
Read the nutrition facts on every packaged food. Avoid these ingredients: salt, MSG, baking soda, baking powder, sodium nitrate, nitrate, sodium alginate and disodium phosphate. Foods don't have to taste salty to be high in sodium, especially baked goods. A 4-inch whole grain bagel has more than 500mg of sodium, notes MayoClinic.com.
Understanding Labels
You will see many different claims concerning sodium on the front label. "Sodium-free" means there is less than 5mg of sodium per serving. "Very low sodium" means less than 35mg per serving and "low sodium" means less than 140mg in a serving. "Reduced sodium" means there is 25 percent less sodium than in the regular version of the product, which may not be enough of a reduction to make it a good choice. Going from 1,000 to 750mg qualifies for a "reduced sodium" label, but is still a lot of sodium. Also, some manufacturers have small portion sizes, so be realistic about how many servings you will actually eat.
Naturally Occurring Sodium
Some foods naturally contain sodium. An 8-oz glass of low-fat milk has more than 100mg of sodium. Vegetables, such as celery, meat and shellfish, also have natural sodium. Consuming some sodium is essential for good health, because sodium helps transmit nerve impulses and control the relaxation and contraction of muscles.
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