In this short article, we will answer the question “What is the sodium symbol?”, we will also demonstrate how this element enters our bodies and what function it serves there.
As it balances the amount and distribution of water in the body and helps to control blood pressure, sodium is an essential mineral for the body’s processes.
Additionally, salt is necessary for muscular contraction, blood pH equilibrium, electrical impulses in the nervous system, and the absorption of nutrients like vitamins, carbohydrates, and amino acids.
What is the sodium symbol?
The chemical element sodium has the symbol Na (derived from Natrium in Latin).
How can sodium be consumed through food?
The main source of sodium is sodium chloride, also referred to as table salt. The majority of meals also naturally contain salt, which is essential for maintaining the health of the heart and muscles.
The main natural sources of this mineral include meat, fish, eggs, and seaweed. But industrialised items, such as fast food or snacks, have the most salt content and cause the most harm to the body, which can result in high blood pressure or heart issues.
The terms sodium and salt are frequently used interchangeably, however, they do not have the same meanings because salt is made up of the minerals sodium and chloride.
You should only ingest up to 5 g of salt per day, which is equivalent to 2000 mg of sodium, or 1 full teaspoon.
List of sodium-rich foods
Processed foods are the main sources of salt in the diet:
- Processed meats, such as bacon, pie, ham, and bologna;
- tinned fish like sardines or tuna and smoked meats;
- Parmesan, Roquefort, Camembert, and Creamy Cheddar cheeses;
- seasonings that are already prepared, such as arisco, sazón, Ajinomoto, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise;
- prepared foods, such as soups and broths;
- veggies in cans, including pickles, mushrooms, hearts of palm, peas, maize, and olives;
- processed cookies and cakes, such as cookies made with salt water;
- fast meal items like pizza or fries;
- Snacks and industrialised foods including chips, pastry, peanuts, kibbeh, and sausages,
- soft drinks and juices in a box or bottle and all the sodas
- Margarine and butter.
It’s crucial to stay away from these items and opt for fresh foods whenever feasible if you want to adhere to the recommendation of taking up to 5 g of salt each day.
The sodium content of food
Foods of animal origin, such as meat, fish, eggs, and milk, should be the main sources of salt and, as a result, should be consumed on a daily basis since they help the heart and muscles operate properly.
What function does sodium serve in our bodies?
Sodium is necessary for the maintenance of several bodily processes, chief among these being:
- control blood pressure, which balances the distribution and volume of water entering and leaving cells;
- encourage nutritional absorption, which enables the entry of glucose, vitamins, and amino acids into cells;
- stimulate nerve impulses, allowing information to be sent between nervous system cells and the entire body;
- help in muscle contraction because the heart’s and muscles’ contractions are stimulated by the high amounts of sodium that are delivered into the muscle cells;
- balancing the blood’s pH, which is essential for the health of the body’s cells.
- Although sodium is a mineral that the body needs, too much of it can be unhealthy and lead to conditions including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke.
What occurs when blood levels of salt rise?
Consuming too much sodium can result in a variety of health issues, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and heart attacks, to name a few.
Hypernatremia, also known as high blood sodium, is a condition that can be brought on by illnesses like diabetes insipidus or renal issues as well as circumstances like diarrhoea, vomiting, excessive perspiration, and conditions that make the body lose water.
High blood salt levels typically have no symptoms. However, some symptoms, such as increased thirst, tiredness, increased muscular contractions, and seizures may appear when the alteration is exceedingly severe.
Conclusion:
In this short article, we have answered the question “What is the sodium symbol?”, we have also demonstrated how this element enters our bodies and what function it serves there.