USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Low
Sodium Diet
by Steve Friesen, Class of 1999
Index
of Patient Education Topics
What is sodium?
Sodium is a mineral that your body needs in order to keep fluids in proper
balance. It is found in table salt and in many of the foods you eat.
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How much sodium do I need?
Just like many other important vitamins and minerals, the human body only
needs a certain amount of sodium in order to work best. The American Heart
Association recommends that the average, healthy adult consume no more
than 2400 milligrams of sodium per day – or about the amount that you would
find in 1-¼ teaspoons of table salt. The average person in the United
States gets between 4,000 to 5,000 mg in their daily diet – nearly twice
the amount recommended!
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Why should someone be on a low sodium diet?
Your doctor may have recommended a low sodium diet for several reasons.
Too much sodium in a person’s diet can result in too much fluid being retained
by the body. This could be dangerous to people who have medical conditions
such as high blood pressure or heart disease.
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Does a low sodium diet work?
Studies have suggested that reducing sodium in the diet can be beneficial
to many people who have high blood pressure or heart disease. Although
not all people respond as well to low salt diets as others, we cannot yet
tell who will and who will not respond. Experts have also suggested that
the average, healthy adult lower the amount of sodium in their diet and
increase their intake of calcium and potassium (two other minerals) in
order to decrease their risk of getting high blood pressure.
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What are common sources of sodium?
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Sodium in your diet comes in two forms: natural and added.
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Sodium is found naturally in many fresh foods such as milk, beets and celery.
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Sodium is also added to many foods when they are being prepared (like at
a restaurant) or processed (for example, canning or preserving).
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Sodium may also be added in the form of salt or seasonings.
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How can I reduce the sodium in my
diet?
The first step is finding out how much sodium is in your diet. To do this,
you must check the labels on the food products that you purchase and eat.
All of them should have listed the amount of sodium in each serving of
their product. Add up your daily amount of sodium in your diet and compare
it to the recommended amount of less than 2400 mg.
The next step is reducing the amount of sodium to less than the recommended
level. Foods that are high in sodium and should be avoided or eaten rarely
include: seasoned salts, processed meats (bacon, sausage and ham), canned
soups and vegetables, and certain medications such as antacids. Fast foods
are usually very high in sodium.
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Tips
to avoid sodium in foods:
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Choose fresh or frozen food items, or those canned without added salts.
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Use unsalted nuts and seeds, and dried beans, peas and lentils.
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Avoid adding salt to homemade meals.
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Select unsalted broths, bouillons or soups.
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Use low sodium cheeses and yogurts.
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When eating out, ask for low salt items or ask for your meal to be prepared
without salt.
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Use spices and herbs to add flavor instead of salt.
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Where can I find out more information?
Internet Web Sites:
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SODIUM
American
Heart Associationâ : (http://www.amhrt.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/sodium.html)
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Index of
Patient Education Topics
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