Sodium

A mineral that makes up 40 percent of sodium chloride, which is commonly used as table salt in cooking and in processed food. Some salt-sensitive people retain salt and water, which can cause hypertension.

A chemical element which is the basic substance in salt.

An essential mineral found in every cell in the body. Sodium has many important functions including transporting oxygen and aiding digestion. Sodium helps keep catcium in a solution form that is necessary for nerve strength. It is found in virtually all foods but animal sources have more sodium than plant forms. Sodium is also found in sodium chloride or table salt. People rarely suffer from sodium deficiency and the more common problem is too much sodium, which may aggravate high blood pressure.

Sodium is a macromineral found within the body as the most predominant extracellular cation. In the diet, sodium is typically not present at high levels in fresh foods. Foods with naturally high levels include dairy foods and seafoods, although these are not the richest sources of sodium in the average diet, which provides much higher amounts of sodium from processed foods. Pickles, canned vegetables and soups, soy sauce, preserved meat foods, and many salty snacks are often high in sodium, although low sodium versions of many of these foods are available. Table salt (NaCl) is a particularly rich source, since about 40% of its weight is sodium.

A mineral that is extremely important in maintaining water balance and electrolyte balance in the body and proper functioning of the nerves and muscles. In the kitchen, sodium is usually found as sodium chloride (table salt, today often with iodine added) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Most foods contain some sodium, but it is especially abundant in processed foods, ham, cheese, breads and cereals, and meats, fish, and vegetables that have been smoked, pickled, or cured, as well as packed in water treated with water softener. Deficiency is rare in Western countries, except in abnormal circumstances, as with excessive use of diuretic drugs, persistent diarrhea or vomiting, or certain disorders such as cystic fibrosis, adrenal gland problems, or kidney and urological disorders, the kidneys being the organs that controls the level of sodium in the blood. Too little sodium can cause muscle cramps, weakness, and headache, and severe deficiency can lead to low blood pressure, confusion, and fainting. In the West, excess sodium is far more common, and most dietitians urge restraint in the addition of sodium and checking manufactured foods for their level of sodium. Too much sodium can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), edema (water buildup), kidney damage, and heart problems.

Metallic element that is one of the most important elements in the body, essential for acid-base balance, water balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction.

A mineral needed by the body for normal function. Sodium controls the volume of fluid outside the cells and helps to maintain acid-base balance. Sodium helps to maintain the electrical system within the nervous tissue, thereby maintaining function of nerves and muscles. The amount of sodium in the body is controlled by the kidneys.

A mineral element and an important constituent of the human body (average sodium content of the adult body is 4000 mmol). Sodium controls the volume of extracellular fluid in the body and maintains the acid-base balance. It also helps maintain electrical potentials in the nervous system and is thus necessary for the functioning of nerves and muscles. Sodium is contained in most foods and is well absorbed, the average daily intake in the US being 4 g. The amount of sodium in the body is normally controlled by the kidneys. An excess of sodium leads to the condition of hypernatremia, which often results in edema. This may develop in infants fed on bottled milk, which has a higher sodium content than human milk. Since babies are less able to remove sodium from the body than adults the feeding of a high-sodium diet to babies is dangerous and may lead to dehydration. Sodium is also implicated in hypertension: a high-sodium diet is thought to increase the risk of hypertension in later life.

A metal, the salts of which are white, crystalline, and very soluble. The fluids of the body contain a considerable quantity of sodium chloride.

The most abundant cation in extracellular fluids. It is the main contributor to osmotic pressure and hydration; participates in many specialized pumps and receptors on cell membranes; and plays a fundamental part in the electrical activities of the body (e.g., nerve impulse transmission and muscular contraction).

A mineral needed by the body to keep body fluids in balance. Sodium is found in table salt and in many processed foods. Too much sodium can cause the body to retain water.