The Lowdown on Salt and High-Sodium Diets
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Julianna Patricia Varga
Salt has been a kitchen staple worldwide for thousands of years. It enhances flavor, preserves food, and most importantly, helps the body function properly. Yet despite its essential role, salt often gets a bad reputation.
So how much do we actually need, and when does it become a problem?
Table salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential mineral that helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signaling and muscle contractions. Without enough sodium, the body could not maintain proper hydration or blood pressure. However, the issue in modern diets is rarely deficiency, it is excess.
Sodium occurs naturally in foods such as milk, eggs, seafood and vegetables, but these foods usually contain relatively small amounts.
Most excess sodium in modern diets comes from processed foods. Bread, canned soups, sauces, instant noodles, frozen meals, chips, processed meats and fast food are among the biggest contributors. Even foods that do not taste particularly salty, such as pastries and packaged sandwiches, can contain surprisingly high amounts of sodium. Condiments like soy sauce, ketchup, bouillon cubes and salad dressings are also major sources.
Sodium itself is not harmful in normal amounts. Problems arise when intake consistently exceeds the body’s needs. According to the World Health Organization, adults should aim for less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day or the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt. However, average global intake is estimated to be more than double that amount.
The main concern with excessive sodium intake is its effect on blood pressure. Excess sodium causes the body to retain water, increasing the volume of fluid in the bloodstream. This places greater pressure on blood vessels and forces the heart to work harder. Over time, the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease increases.
That said, sodium sensitivity varies from person to person. Some individuals experience a significant blood pressure increase with high salt intake, while others are less affected. Older adults tend to be more sensitive to sodium’s effects on blood pressure, for example. People who already have hypertension, kidney disease, or heart failure should pay especially close attention to sodium consumption.
People taking blood pressure medications, particularly diuretics and vasodilators, should also keep sodium intake in check, as excess sodium can reduce the effectiveness of these treatments.
While there can be risks with high-sodium diets, there are situations where salt can also be beneficial. Athletes, manual laborers, or people living in hot climates lose sodium through sweat. In these cases, replacing sodium can help maintain hydration and prevent muscle cramps, dizziness or hyponatremia, a dangerous condition caused by sodium levels being too low. Similarly, individuals experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration may temporarily require additional sodium to restore fluid balance.
Salt is not the enemy. In fact, the body depends on it. The challenge is finding the right balance. By limiting highly processed foods and making informed choices, most people can enjoy the benefits of salt without the health risks that come with too much of it.
Salt is essential, but as with many things in life, too much of a good thing can eventually become harmful.
Low-Sodium Chicken Adobo
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 kg chicken, sliced into small pieces
3 dried bay leaves
60 mL low-sodium soy sauce (Marca Piña, Lee Kum Kee, Maggi less sodium soy sauce)
65 mL cane or white vinegar
10 garlic cloves (crushed)
400 mL water
15 mL cooking oil
2 g whole peppercorns
Instructions
Combine chicken, soy sauce and crushed garlic in a bowl and mix well. Marinate for at least one hour.
Pour the cooking oil into a pot. Add the garlic from the marinade and sauté until brown.
Add in chicken and marinade, peppercorns and bay leaves. Pour in water. Once boiling, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Pour in vinegar. Let boil before stirring. Once boiling, mix and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes.
Note: For a thicker sauce, simmer longer without a cover. For more sauce, shorten the simmering time.
BSN CONSUMER TIPS
🧂 Don't be fooled by “sea salt.” It may sound healthier, but sea salt and table salt contain similar amounts of sodium.
🏷️ Read nutrition labels. A product can taste only mildly salty yet still be high in sodium. Check the sodium content per serving.
🥫 Watch out for hidden sodium. Bread, canned soups, instant noodles, processed meats, sauces, and salad dressings are often major sources.
💧 Rinse canned foods. Washing canned beans and vegetables can help reduce sodium content.
🌿 Flavor foods naturally. Use herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, calamansi, or vinegar to enhance taste without adding extra salt.
🍜 When dining out, ask for less sauce. Many restaurant dishes contain most of their sodium in sauces, broths, and seasonings.
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