Sodium Foods: Widespread Especially As Salt

Sodium is contained in salt and can therefore be found in many foods. And that’s a good thing because the body wouldn’t function without sodium. We explain what the mineral is important for and how you can meet your needs.

Electrolyte Source: Sodium foods

Sodium is one of the minerals that the body needs in larger amounts because they are building blocks of the organism. A person with a body weight of 70 kilograms has stored around 100 grams of sodium, mainly in the blood. The element is a positively charged particle and is involved in the so-called electrolyte balance: Without sodium, the water distribution in the body would not work. The bulk element also contributes to the regulation of blood pressure, the transmission of nerve impulses, a normal heart rhythm, and muscle work.

Daily requirement and sodium deficiency

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends a daily intake of 1500 milligrams of sodium per day for adults. This amount can be easily reached in Germany, since sodium, together with chloride, forms table salt, which is contained in numerous foods. A deficiency (hyponatraemia) therefore depends less on the intake of sodium foods and more on the water balance. If the body loses a lot of sodium through heavy sweating, it can lead to headaches, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. If the condition persists, seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, and unconsciousness can be expected. Sodium excess is more common, which is why only a limited amount of salt per day is healthy.

These are foods that are particularly high in sodium

Anyone who wants or has to pay attention to their sodium intake should keep an eye on the consumption of the most important sodium foods. This mainly includes processed products, as the industry often adds a lot of salt to them:

• Sausage products such as salami, Frankfurter and Knackwurst
• Cheese (cream cheese, hard cheese)
• bread and snacks
• French fries
• canned fish
• Prepared meals such as frozen pizza

Also, pay attention to the sodium levels in the mineral water, types with a maximum of 2 milligrams of sodium per 100 milliliters are considered low in sodium. This value does not apply to natural mineral waters.

If you want to know how much sodium salt contains, the conversion factor is 2.54. This means: 2.54 grams of table salt contain 1 gram of sodium. You cover your daily sodium requirement with around 4 grams of salt.