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To get our 2300-2400mg of sodium needed in our daily diet is easy. To go over the limit is even easier.

The key is not to add salt to anything you eat. In a normal diet of a balance of proteins, dairy, fat and carbohydrates, there is a natural amount of sodium in the form of soidum chloride (ordinary salt). Small amounts of sodium are obtained from other chemicals but salt is the main source. Even fruit, vegetables and meat have natural small amounts of salt in them so there is no need to worry whether you can obtain your daily requirement if you never add salt to food.

The sodium in food is obtained largely from inititial absorption from soil water by plants. Salt is dissolved in the soil water (plants only take in nutrients and minerals in solution) and enters the plant;s tissue. Sodium helps with certain metabolic processes in plants and is a trace nutrient. Excess is then deposited in the plant tissues and is then eaten by animals and works up the food chain to us. We use sodium in several metabolic processes but it is needed in tiny amounts so there is little danger of not having enough.

On the other hand, too much sodium creates problems because the body finds it difficult to deal with. It increases the volume of blood inc irculation and this puts blood pressure up, which can lead to damage of arterial walls. This can then lead to bleeding, strokes and thrombosis. Though the link between salt intake and blodd pressure is not scientifically proven, there has been shown to be a correlation between the salt intake of people and their blood pressure.

Processed foods are the ones to watch if you wish to keep your soidum intakelow. In order to preserve, improve the flavour and aid dyes to look vibrant, sodium (salt) is added to many foods and it is surprising just how many contain salt. Sweet foods might be thought of as salt free but these can contain surprisingly high amounts of sodium.

In the past, it was considered a good thing to add salt to vegetables as they cooked to release their flavour but actually, all it does is add a salty flavour to the food. Naturally, we like salt in small doses because our bodies know that a little does you good. OUt tongues even have taste buds designed to detect salt and generally, in small amounts, this is pleasant. But equally, now we have balanced diets, it is important to control our intake. Adding salt to vegetables as they cook is not necessary and does not release flavours.

Try cooking vegetables without salt and after a week or so, you will wonder why you ever did. Salt actually masks a taste and without salt in the cooking water carrots taste sweeter, cabbage is more favoursome and you will notice the lack of saltiness in your potatoes too.

Use as few processed foods as possible and opt for easy to prepare quick meals like salads, fresh fruit and vegetables and other alternatives to cakes, pastries and sweets. Bread contains salt and a small amount is needed to help control the action of the yeasts but commercial bread has high quantities so making your own bread is an option and if you have a bread maker, this becomes part of the routine as you can fill the machine, leave it to do its job and arrive home to the fresh smell of home-baked bread - with low sodium. If you do not have a bread maker, makng your own bread is easy and fun. You can fit it in around your other cooking by leaving the dough to rise while you make the dinner and use the warm oven afterwards to cook the loaf.

Sodium is good but only in small doses but with some thought you can control your intake.

Learn more about this author, Sammy Stein.
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