Sodium, in moderation, is an important part of your diet. It is an electrolyte, so it is crucial for maintaining homeostasis in the body, allowing many bodily functions to function smoothly and steadily. It also helps balance fluids and minerals, as well as helps control muscle movement. If we don’t eat enough sodium, we yearn for it. Sodium also contains no calories, so it can seem like a nice addition to your food, adding extra flavor to your meals.
However, too much sodium can cause negative effects. One of those effects is potentially increasing your risk of heart disease. If you’re at risk for heart disease, it’s important to watch how much sodium you eat. According to a new study published in the lancet diary, reducing your sodium intake may help prevent fluid overload and poor outcomes for heart failure patients.
In the study, the researchers took information from an international, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, also known as SODIUM-HF. The trial enrolled patients 18 years and older, located at 26 sites in six countries. These eligible patients had chronic heart failure and received optimally tolerated guideline-directed medical therapy: a more favorable dose of a drug or treatment that does not cause unacceptable side effects. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment as usual according to local guidelines or to a low-sodium diet of less than 100 millimoles (mmol) per day.
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The researchers then designed the Dietary Intervention Study to test whether or not a reduction in dietary sodium reduces the incidence of future clinical events. They assigned 806 patients to a low-sodium diet between March 24, 2014, and December 9, 2020. After the trial, they determined that hospitalization related to cardiovascular disease occurred 2% less in patients on a low-sodium diet compared to patients in the usual-care group.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, limit sodium in your diet helps minimize the amount of extra fluid around the heart, lungs, and legs. If you have excess fluid in your body, it makes your heart work harder. This will potentially increase your blood pressure.
How can I limit my sodium intake?
To help reduce your sodium intake, the Cleveland Clinic suggests trying these methods that may help control and/or possibly treat your heart failure:
- Eat high fiber foods that will help you maintain or reach a healthy body weight.
- Wear fresh ingredients containing little or no added salt.
- If you don’t have fresh vegetables, use frozen or canned foods that contain little salt or rinse vegetables before cooking. The same goes for fruit.
- Swap out and/or eliminate certain high-sodium ingredients in your favorite recipes.
- Avoid non-perishable, easy-to-store foods that have a long shelf life.
- Check the nutrition label and look for foods that contain 600 milligrams or less of sodium.
- Avoid canned, cured, or smoked meats and items such as sausages.
How do I know if I am experiencing heart failure?
Heart failure symptom include shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins. Heart failure risks include coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the most common type of heart disease, and heart attacks. Other problems include diabetes, high blood pressureobesity and valvular heart disease.
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, it may be time to reduce your sodium intake, as well as see your doctor. For more information on sodium, see What happens to your body when you eat too much salt.
Kayla Garritano
Kayla Garritano is a staff writer for Eat This, Not That! She is a graduate of Hofstra University, where she majored in Journalism and double majored in Marketing and Creative Writing. read more
