Why is sodium even important in your diet?

Dosen't it just make you retain water? How can that be unhealthy? If your retaining water it might make it appear as if you AREN'T losing weight but it dosen't reflect your TRUE weight i.e. body fat. So why is sodium so important? Thanks in advance!!!

- Jon

I asked the same thing a while ago 

http://caloriecount.about.com/bloat-whats-pro blem-sodium-ft123275

I watch it when I'm trying to look skinny for an event or something but besides that I eat pretty much what I want. I'm a college student so I'm not going to cut something like deli sliced turkey or canned soup out of my diet because of sodium. I just drink lots of water.

It is important because like any other vital nutrient you will die without it.

Sorry, I meant to ask: why is to much sodium harmful? Why is there a daily limit for it? I understand the effects of not including sodium, as excluding any vitamin/nutrient is not natural and we need everything we need to survive and be healthy, but why is too much sodium bad? From what I understand it dosen't make you gain weight or slow your metabolism down so what gives?

hypertension/high blood pressure.... heart disease.... too much of anything can be a bad thing.... just as well too little is harmful too!

Oh I see... but it has little effect on actual weight loss, right?

There is a difference between weight loss and fat loss.  I can lose 'weight' meaing fat from my body but salt can make me physically bloat and weigh more through water retenetion.  For most without a medical water retention issue though, water retention is more easily dropped than losing one's fat.

I was actually just told by my doctor to increase my sodium intake. I have very low blood pressure and often feel faint.

The FDA says you should take in no more thatn 2300mg sodium each day. Americans tend to eat WAY more than this with all our processed/fast foods. Most any packaged/canned foods are going to contain a TON of sodium (most things in the aisles of the grocery) which is why you should do most of your shopping in the outer areas of the grocery store where the fruits, veggies, meats and dairy are. your body will not function however if you are eating NO sodium at all becuase it does need it for natural cell function and organ functions. You do not want to eat more than 2300 mg sodium a day however because it will affect your blood pressure, cause you to retain water, which can lead to abnormal heart functions etc. If you work out alot it is very important to make sure you are getting SOME sodium because you are sweating, so your body will need it to hold on to some water.

There have been some studies lately that have determined that there may not be any health risks involved with a high salt diet, EXCEPT if you already have high blood pressure.  I have quite low blood pressure and when I was younger my doctor encouraged me to eat mor salt.

There's also the iodized salt thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine_deficienc y

I love salt. I put it in & on everything. I consume way more than 2300mg/day.

I also have really low blood pressure.

If I didn't eat so much salt, I might die! I mean, lower than low blood pressure... that's dead! I better go eat some salt!

Just got home from a 2 hour shopping trip to buy more heart healthy food for my FIL who is staying at our house while recovering from having a stent placed in his heart to allow blood to feed it. He is only 60 and now can barely live on his own due to heart problems from HTN from too much salt and not enough exercise his whole life. Low sodium for me and hubby from now on 'cause we do NOT need to end up like that at such and early age!

Original Post by merdique:

There have been some studies lately that have determined that there may not be any health risks involved with a high salt diet, EXCEPT if you already have high blood pressure.  I have quite low blood pressure and when I was younger my doctor encouraged me to eat mor salt.

 There are other medical conditions that require one to limit sodium.  I have congestive heart failure, which is fluid collecting in the lungs.  I have to be very careful of my salt intake.

We're not doctors.  Your doctor should be able to tell you if you have a condition that will be helped if you limit salt.

The consequence of eating too much salt when you are young and healthy is mainly that you develop a taste for salty food.  It's a hard habit to break if you have to give it up later in life as I did.  Giving up my salt was much harder than limiting sugar and fat.

Claire, I know exactly what you mean.  I'm not sure what I'd do if I were forced to limit salt.  Well...I'd limit it, of course, but I wouldn't be happy about it.   I've heard differing opinions on the harmfulness of sodium.  I've never had a doctor flag me for high blood pressure.  I'll have to ask my doctor about it the next time I see him.   

Eating too much salt might not affect you when you are young, but it will catch up to you later on.  Best to nip that overindulgence in the bud while you are still young and have the willpower because it's a lot tougher when you're in your later years.