What Does Sodium Do In The Body?

Sodium works to manage water levels in conjunction with potassium. The body has regulatory functions that balance out sodium and potassium in order to maintain the proper blood volume. Extra salt can throw off the process. If you suffer from hypertension or have concerns about your salt intake, talk to your doctor.

Sodium and Water

Sodium is part of the system that conducts electrical impulses. It also is a natural attractor for water molecules. Sodium sits outside of a cell membrane. When excess sodium builds up, it draws water molecules out of the cell into the blood. This is the basis for hypertension. Excess sodium will overfill the blood with water. The extra water causes a higher liquid volume in the blood and the system must work harder to pull the weight of the excess. The stress from the increased workload causes damage the arteries and leads to heart problems.

Potassium

Potassium is the counterpoint to sodium. While sodium sits outside of cell membranes, a larger portion of the potassium stays inside. The process is a balancing act. The exact mechanism that controls movement of sodium and potassium helps to creates an electrochemical gradient. Simply put, it is the combination of sodium and potassium that moves electricity within the body. When you have excess sodium or potassium, you upset that balance. The kidneys are responsible for keeping the levels harmonious.

Kidneys

The kidneys monitor sodium and potassium in order to maintain the balance. When the it becomes off, the kidneys remove the excess as waste. Eating salt introduces more sodium into the body then the kidneys can manage. Essentially, the sodium reaches a threshold, and the kidneys lose control of the balancing act. When this happens, excess sodium builds up in the blood.

Hypertension

There are a number of factors that contribute to hypertension, but sodium levels are among the most crucial. When you increase the level of sodium by eating more salt, you effectively add more volume to your blood. To correct this problem, you may need to eat less salt and more potassium. A doctor may also provide a diuretic. This is a drug that compensates for the excess water in the blood forcing it out through urine. A diuretic is a manual way of reducing the water and, therefore, the blood volume. When the volume decreases, the stress on the heart and cardiovascular system reduces.