How to reduce sodium consumption?

Let’s start with what is actually sodium?

It is an element that fulfills very important functions in the human body, including participation in nervous transmission, muscle work and, above all, in the regulation of the amount of water. It determines how much water is excreted via the kidneys.

With the development of civilization and thus the increase in the proportion of highly processed products in our diet, sodium intake is increased in our daily diet. The more fresh and natural food, the lower the content of this element. Most are found in canned food and fast food, and of course in table salt. Sodium is primarily a component of the preservative, which is monosodium glutamate, read more about this substance here.

Who is threatening sodium?

Normally, excess sodium is easily removed by the kidneys, but in some people it can cause a rise in blood pressure. This is due to kidney failure or increased sensitivity of the organism to this element (increased sensitivity to sodium occurs in approximately 40% of patients with hypertension).

People who take medicines for hypertension (these are preparations with a dehydrating effect) should also reduce the intake of sodium in the diet, otherwise the action of the drug may cause the loss of important elements of the body, such as potassium or magnesium.

What do the recommendations for sodium consumption in numbers look like?

For the proper functioning of the body needs 0.5g of sodium per day. Most specialists think that you should limit its intake to 2.5g per day. The maximum acceptable sodium intake is 5g per day.

Here are some tips on how to reduce sodium intake

• Always check the sodium content on the packaging. Choose products with the lowest sodium content.
• Look at E621 information labels in the composition, such a product contains the monosodium glutamate described above.
• Replace canned food, marinades and products smoked with fresh, as least processed food. Instead of tinned meats and sausages, use hand-made baking in a herbal marinade. Cans, smoked meats, hams, sausages or bacon are added to improve their taste and extend their shelf life. Pickled and pickled vegetables replace with fresh ones.
• Avoid ready-made frozen and instant dishes.
• Eliminate the consumption of salty snacks such as salted peanuts, chips, crackers. Nuts, seeds and seeds are great for crunching.
• Instead of salt, use aromatic spices – cranberries, onions, garlic, thyme, curry, paprika, ginger and oregano are perfect for meats. – boiled potatoes sprinkle with parsley, dill, in the form of purée, the addition can be stewed garlic, onion. – for salad dressings, use basil, dill, lemon juice and wine vinegar.
• Do not place a salt shaker on the table during meals.
• Use low-sodium salt. A great substitute is potassium or magnesium salt.

Good news!

The organism quickly wean off the salty taste, after just a few weeks of salt elimination, the natural taste of food will become attractive to you!