Physiological function of sodium

Regulate water and osmotic pressure in the body;

Maintain acid-base balance;

Sodium pump;

Maintain normal blood pressure;

Enhance neuromuscular excitability;

Sodium deficiency?

Sodium in the human body is generally not easy to lack.

However, in some cases, such as fasting, eating less, strict dietary sodium restriction and extremely low intake, or high temperature, heavy physical labor, hyperhidrosis, gastrointestinal diseases, repeated vomiting and diarrhea, etc., the excessive discharge of sodium is lost.

Some diseases, the use of diuretics in parenteral nutrition when sodium is deficient or low, and the inhibition of sodium reabsorption by renal tubules can all cause sodium deficiency.

Sodium excess

Under normal circumstances, excessive sodium intake will not accumulate.

However, in some cases, if salt is mistakenly added to infant milk powder as sugar, it will cause poisoning and even death.

Acute poisoning may include edema, increased blood pressure, increased plasma cholesterol, decreased fat clearance rate, and damage to gastric mucosal epithelial cells.

Excessive sodium intake and high urinary sodium/potassium ratio are important factors of hypertension.

Dietary reference intake

Pi-NCD: < 2000 mg/day is salt.

Food source:

The main sources of sodium in human body are salt, sodium or sodium-containing compounds (such as sodium glutamate, baking soda and sodium bicarbonate). ) food, soy sauce, pickled or pickled meat or smoked food, pickled vegetables, fermented bean products, salty snack food, etc. added in the process of processing.