Food Talk: Sodium intake can affect health

QUESTION: Are salt and sodium the same?

ANSWER: Many people think of salt and sodium as being the same thing but they are not. Table salt is sodium chloride, regardless of the source (sea, mine, fields, etc.). It is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. The point of origin may add other minerals to the salt and affect the flavor but it is still sodium chloride. It’s the sodium portion of salt that is the health risk.

New recommendations encourage us to lower our sodium intake to 1500 to 2000 milligrams of sodium per day. This sounds like a lot but one teaspoon of salt provides 2000 milligrams of sodium. Currently the average intake is about twice this amount.

Sodium also occurs naturally in most foods. The food group having the least amount of sodium is fruit. For example, an apple has only one or two milligrams per piece of fruit. Sodium is present in dairy products, meats, grains and most vegetables. Of course, we add to the sodium content of our foods in the form of salt. 

Sodium is also found in processed food. It is added to preserve the quality of the food and to add flavor. Salt is added to most canned and frozen vegetables, smoked and cured meats, most cheeses, sauces, soups, salad dressings and cereals. The food industry is trying to find ways to decrease sodium while ensuring food safety.

We’ve long been aware of the danger of eating large amounts of salt and the relationship to high blood pressure and heart disease. It has also been proven that women who eat large amounts of salt are at risk for developing osteoporosis. For each teaspoon of salt we eat, large amounts of calcium are excreted in the urine.

To moderate your sodium intake read the nutrition label of the food you buy. It lists the amount of sodium available in one serving of that product.Also, look for label lingo such as sodium free. Each term has government approved acceptance levels for sodium.

Sodium free means the product contains 5 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

Very low sodium means the product contains 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

Low sodium means the product contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

Reduced sodium means the sodium content of that product has been reduced by 25 percent. To make a good judgment about that product you must know the content of the product of origin. For example, look at soy sauce which has 920 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. A 25 percent reduction still gives you a product with 690 milligrams of sodium.

Many kinds of sauces, marinades, tenderizers and bouillon cubes contain high levels of sodium.

Read labels closely and remember that most foods naturally contain sodium. Have a goal of not more than 2000 milligrams per day.

For more information about any nutrition issues, please call Ellen Jones, registered dietitian, at (479) 549-2425.