OK ........ what is sodium and what does it do for you?

Question

I know that it's a salt kind of...maybe... thing ..and every little tv dinner has lots of it. Plus anything you've got stored in your cabinet has lots of it ex: canned foods, crackers, ketchup and some foods that aint nothing but sodium like....pickles? nothing but sodium and I love pickles...what is up with the sodium thing?

Answer 1

Sodium is a light, highly reactive metal that combines with chlorine to form sodium chloride, more commonly known as table salt. In your body, salt is broken up into sodium ions, which help your nerve cells function, and chloride ions, which are used by skin cells. In some people, eating too much salt can increase blood pressure, which causes the heart to work harder and can cause other serious health problems.

Most processed foods have a ridiculous amount of salt in them, probably because Americans have developed a taste for salty foods. Manufacturers add more salt to their products thinking this will improve the taste and increase sales. Salt has been used as a preservative for centuries, but it's not really necessary in most processed foods anymore.

One way to avoid all that sodium is to make your own meals from fresh produce and meats instead of using the canned or boxed stuff. It may not be as convenient, but it's healthier and learning to cook can be fun.

Answer 2

Not kind of, it is salt. It's used to season things generally and the reason why it is in pickles is simple - bacteria hate salt. Thus most things cured or pickled have a high salt content. Your body needs a certain amount of salt to function, but most people get more than enough.

Answer 3

Sodium is good for you in small amounts.

Answer 4

it is found in salt as sodium chloride,in chicken ,meats,nd many more nd it helps in preventing dehydrationnd also help in osmotic pressure

Answer 5

Please see the web page for more details on Sodium.