Sodium, the element normally confused with table salt and one of the great villains of today’s society.
Is sodium really that bad or is it just another misreported story?
First we have to understand that table salt is not sodium. Sodium is just one of the elements and you can find it in many other places, such as: Processed foods, sauces, cheeses, bread and even in medicines. In other words, we practically can’t live without it.
But little do you know that sodium is essential for good health and I can prove it to you. See the benefits of sodium in your body
1. Hydration Balance
Sodium helps regulate the amount of water inside and outside each cell in your body, maintaining constant and balanced hydration.
2. Nerve and Muscle Function:
Sodium also works as a messenger between nerves and muscles. The presence of this element is essential for the correct functioning and contraction of the muscle, including the heart.
In other words, a lack of sodium can make your muscles, limbs, breathing and heart fail.
3. Blood Pressure Regulation:
The correct concentration of sodium in the blood also helps maintain healthy blood pressure. The correct contraction and relaxation of blood vessels is maintained by the control of sodium and potassium in the blood.
4. Nutrient Absorption:
Just as sodium helps regulate the entry and exit of water from cells, it also actively regulates the entry and exit of nutrients essential for functioning.
5. pH Balance
Another consequence of the transport and control that sodium exerts on the body is the balance of Ph.
It may not seem like much, but the body’s enzymes, cells and metabolic activities require an ideal pH range to work.
An unbalanced Ph alters the functioning of the body, potentially compromising vital functions.
But after all, if sodium is so essential for the body, why is it so poorly talked about?
Exactly because it is an element of fundamental importance in the body’s regulation process, its excess or lack can cause serious health problems, such as: fluid retention, kidney problems and even heart problems.
In other words, like everything in life, it must be consumed with control and without excess. Sodium-related problems are associated with a diet high in sodium, which causes health damage.