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Permalink Reply by Leah Danyell on June 18, 2008 at 7:14am

Preliminary evidence has linked salt consumption with increased cardiovascular disease incidence and death among overweight people. Low sodium diets seem to be especially important for people with high blood pressure. Salt intake has been definitively linked to high blood pressure in Western societies, and eliminating salt from the diet lowers blood pressure in most people. The water flushes the system of salts and wastes. With certain people who have congestive heart failure, they retain fluid and it doesn't flush easily. We should be drinking at least the minimum water requirements to maintain our health. There really is no way to balance excessive salt intake with water intake. You need to avoid added sodium. High blood pressure is a killer, but can be avoided in most cases with a good low sodium, low fat diet along with good water intake.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on June 18, 2008 at 10:55am

Sodium isn't the enemy, it's usually the sodium found in pre-packaged, canned, and frozen foods. That's the junk sodium. Iodized salt, however, is the ONLY way your body gets iodine. Yep, the only way. I always cook with iodized salt, but a sprinkle of salt in a huge recipe is nothing.

You can track sodium levels if you wish, but the rule of thumb is always stay away from pre-made foods that use it as the levels are crazy. Lots of water won't balance it out and in fact, too much water is not a good thing either and can seriously mess with your kidneys and electrolyte balance.

Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on June 18, 2008 at 11:53am

There are so many more worse consequences of too much sodium than just water retention. One major one is having high blood pressure. Which in itself raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, renal disease, etc.

If you want to track sodium then a good rule of thumb is eating less than 2300 mg per day. If you are taking any meds remember to read the labels because often drugs have high amounts of sodium.

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Permalink Reply by Leah Danyell on June 18, 2008 at 12:05pm

A healthy adult can process up to 15 liters of water a day (or about 4 gallons!) without any ill effects. As long as you drink it throughout the day, you really shouldn't worry about getting too much water. We need about 150mcg of Iodine a day to prevent problems. Most Americans consume about twice this amount. You will get Iodine in most multivitamins. Aside from a multivitamin, approximately 2 grams of salt contain the RDA of Iodine. If you eat anything canned, or processed, you are more than likely getting additional Sodium whether it's iodized or not is anyone's guess.

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Permalink Reply by SaucyWench on June 18, 2008 at 12:56pm

Basically, sodium makes your fat like a sponge. It soaks up the water. Salt soaks up water. That is how you "retain" water. When I cut sodium to a low level in my diet, I lost 10 pounds the first week (along with everything else I did). That's all I really know.

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Permalink Reply by SquishyNoMore on June 18, 2008 at 4:48pm

Thanks everyone - all that information is really helpful. I think I get it now :) Who knew sodium could affect so much in the body. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by HungryHippos on July 30, 2008 at 11:50pm

I tracked my sodium for a day. I barely made it under the recommended amount. It's scary how easy it is to get too much. Just about anything canned or in a box is terrible. I try to do the best I can.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on August 6, 2008 at 1:57pm

Someone mentioned iodine in vitamins and while it is offered in some, it not as easily processed or digested as it is with iodized salt and regular food. Just an FYI.

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