NaCl Health Woes: It's the Sodium, Not the Chloride

The common table salt, which is often used as a condiment and as a food preservative, is a chemical compound that goes by the symbol NaCl; Na for sodium and Cl for chloride. Table salt, therefore, is also referred to as the chemical compound sodium chloride.

A high intake of salt has always been associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. Because of this concern, it is not surprising that medical experts have been advising on diets that are low in salt. They recommend concentrating on fresh fruits and vegetables which supply the essential fibers, vitamins, and minerals. The rationale is that with less salt in our diets, we will be able to keep the levels of our blood pressure from elevating.

But the common table salt is not entirely bad. In fact, of its chemical compositions, sodium (which comprises about 40 percent of table salt) presents the greater harm to health. As an example, a high intake of sodium is identified as the culprit in kidney problems and stroke. Chloride, on the other hand, is not known to pose any such health problems.

It's sodium, therefore, that we should be more concerned about rather than the salt itself. This is especially so when we realize that sodium is more common in many processed foods or food preparations than salt. This is evident in many food labels in which we do not find salt as an ingredient but notice sodium to be present in any of these forms: MSG, sodium benzoate, sodium saccharin, or baking soda. These are the food ingredients that you have to watch out for when doing your rounds in the grocery store.

How exactly does sodium affect the levels of blood pressure? Too much of sodium in the blood can cause fluid retention in the body. When this happens, the blood's volume expands. Consequently, the heart exerts greater effort in pumping the expanded blood volume through the blood veins around the body. This whole process causes blood pressure to elevate. It is even more necessary to lessen our sodium intake as we age. This is because sensitivity to sodium becomes more pronounced as one gets older. Discharging sodium is a difficult process for older bodies. So, again, an elevated blood pressure ensues which is a real risk for older people who are known to have less pliable blood vessels that may easily burst under such heavy pressure.

To ensure that you have a low intake of sodium, try to substantially reduce your consumption of processed foods. Eat more of the fresh, unprocessed foods, low-fat dairy foods and, especially, fresh fruits and vegetables. You may have a little difficulty adjusting at first to diets that are low in sodium. A few weeks of a well-disciplined regimen though is all it takes to be at ease with low-sodium diets. [Read the Original Article]