Sodium Restricted Diet

A sodium restricted diet is often prescribed as part of a treatment plan for many medical conditions, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and others that cause fluid retention or sodium retention.

Sodium’s Role in the Body

Salt, or sodium, is a mineral that is essential for your body to function. It helps control your body’s fluid balance and nerve impulses, and it affects the way your muscles function.

But too much sodium can damage your health. Extra sodium in the bloodstream pulls water into your blood vessels, increasing the volume and pressure of the blood there. In some cases, that leads to high blood pressure, which puts a burden on the functioning of your heart and circulatory system. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Too much salt can also lead to fluid collecting in the lower legs or abdomen. And since the kidneys regulate the sodium in our bodies, too much can negatively affect them, too, contributing to chronic kidney disease.

Sodium and Heart Health

A reduced sodium diet can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and other other conditions. The average American eats about 3,400 mg of sodium a day (one teaspoon of salt from a shaker contains 2,300 mg of sodium), the maximum amount the American Heart Association recommends for the day. For those with high blood pressure, the AHA recommends less than 1500 mgs a day. Even cutting back by 1,000 mg a day, according to the AHA, can improve someone’s blood pressure and heart health.

Most people eat too much sodium, often without knowing it, because it is prevalent in most pre-made foods.

Lower Sodium, all the Flavor

At Hormel Health Labs, we have created a variety of products to help support a low-sodium diet. These soup bases, gravies, sauces and salad dressings are delicious alternatives to those that typically contain high amounts of hidden sodium. Whether you’re cooking for one person or hundreds, we make it easy to lower the sodium, and keep the tastes great!