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The Free Fitness
Tips Newsletter - March 2010
brought to you by
http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
Hi everyone. Easter is just
around the corner and to mark the occasion I have a brand new
edition of the Free Fitness Tips Newsletter for you.
This month's newsletter includes:
1)
Featured Article
After
finishing my mini series on the
macronutrients in February, I have now started to cover the
micronutrients. Out of the 6 articles I published this
month I have decided to feature...
Sodium Explained
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WHAT
IS SODIUM?
Sodium is a
macromineral that helps the muscles and nerves function
properly. Whilst it often receives bad publicity (due to its close
links with salt), sodium is actually essential for good health. In
this article I will be discussing sodium and its functions in
greater detail.
WHEN
WAS SODIUM DISCOVERED?
Humans have
been aware of sodium compounds throughout history. Glass (which is
made using sodium carbonate) was being manufactured on a large scale
in Egypt as early as 1370 B.C. However, although there was an
awareness of sodium from an early date, people struggled to
distinguish it from
potassium until the eighteenth century. Once chemists realised
the two elements were distinct they then started working towards
isolating them.
Sir Humphry
Davy was one of the chemists who tried to isolate potassium and
sodium. Davy’s first attempt was unsuccessful because he passed an
electric current through a water solution of mineral alkali (a
sodium compound). Although the electricity successfully isolated
the sodium, it then immediately reacted with the water in the
solution. Following this Davy then passed an electric current
through a sample of melted mineral alkali. This time he was
successful and officially isolated sodium on October 6th 1807.
HOW
DOES YOUR BODY USE SODIUM?
Around 0.15%
of an average person’s bodyweight is sodium the majority of which is
stored in the blood and fluid that surrounds the body’s cells. It
has a number of roles in the body which include:
- Assisting with the
metabolism of
carbohydrates and
proteins.
- Keeping
minerals soluble in the blood.
- Keeping your joints flexible.
- Maintaining a proper fluid balance.
- Maintaining blood volume.
- Maintaining regular heartbeats.
- Regulating
blood pressure.
- Supporting major organs including the liver, pancreas and spleen.
- Supporting muscle contractions.
- Supporting nerve transmissions.
HOW
MUCH SODIUM DO YOU NEED?
In the UK
the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sodium is 1600mg for both
men and women. This requirement does not fluctuate with age and
remains constant throughout your life. However, if you have
high blood pressure it is recommended that you keep your sodium
intake below 1500mg.
WHICH FOODS CONTAIN SODIUM?
Sodium is
most commonly associated with table salt. Whilst table salt is one
of the richest sources of sodium it is not the only way to consume
this
micronutrient. The list below highlights some good sodium food
choices:
- Cheddar Cheese:- 610mg per 100g.
- Olives:- 1800mg per 100g.
- Prawns:- 1590mg per 100g.
- Salted Butter:- 840mg per 100g.
- Table Salt:- 38850mg per 100g.
-
Wholemeal Bread:- 540mg per 100g.
WHAT
ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GETTING TOO MUCH SODIUM?
Unlike many
of the micronutrients I have covered on this blog, getting too much
sodium is a problem for many people. Since many people’s diets
contain high levels of processed foods (which have lots of added
salt) they often consume much more than the recommended 1600mg per
day. Furthermore, certain diseases can raise sodium levels in the
body. High levels of sodium in the body are known as hypernatremia
which has a number of negative symptoms including:
- Increased
blood pressure.
- Increased heart disease risk.
- Increased kidney disease risk.
- Swelling of the legs and hands.
WHAT
ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF NOT GETTING ENOUGH SODIUM?
Low levels
of sodium in the body (hyponatremia) are extremely rare. In most
cases hyponatremia is caused by certain diseases, certain
medications, diarrhea, excessive sweating and vomitting. When it
does occur, hyponatremia leads to:
- Confusion.
- Headaches.
- Lethargy.
- Muscle twitching.
- Nausea.
SODIUM SUMMARY
Salt and
sodium are often portrayed negatively and seen as nutrients to
avoid. However, sodium is essential for the proper functioning of
your body. Whilst overdosing on this micronutrient is a big problem
if you keep an eye on your intake and cut down on the processed
foods you can enjoy the benefits whilst avoiding any negative
symptoms.
Now I want
to hear from you guys. Do you go out of your way to avoid sodium?
Were you aware that it is needed to help your body function
properly? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Sources:
Sodium (Chemistry Explained)
Sodium (Na) in Blood (WebMD)
Sodium as a Supplement (Chet Day’s Health and Beyond)
Sodium in Diet Nutrition (New York Times)
Sodium RDA (Anne Collins)
2)
Free Fitness Tips Blog Updates
As I mentioned above, I published 6
articles on the
micronutrients this month. The full list of blog posts is
below:
-
Calcium Explained - March 3rd 2010
-
Chloride Explained - March 13th 2010
-
Magnesium Explained - March 14th 2010
-
Phosphorus Explained -
March 18th 2010
-
Positive Thinking and Successful Slimming -
March 20th 2010 (guest post from Audrey Makepeace)
-
Potassium Explained - March 24th 2010
-
Sodium Explained - March 27th 2010 (this month's featured
article)
3) Final Words
I hope you enjoyed this month's
newsletter. Next month I plan to continue writing about the
micronutrients as there are still quite a few more to cover.
Until next time,
Tom Parker (Owner and Creator of Free
Fitness Tips)
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