Perhaps you didn’t already know but there
are many important FUNCTIONS of salt, including:
• Controlling the flow of fluids in and
out of each and every body cell
• Regulating blood pressure
• Transmitting nerve impulses. Sodium, chloride
and potassium are electrolytes or compounds that
transmit electrical currents through the body,
causing nerve impulses to also be transmitted
• Helping your muscles like your heart to
relax.
• During pregnancy a certain amount of sodium
is required to allow for higher fluid volume
Did you know..
• Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably
but in essence they are two different things.
• Sodium is technically known as sodium
chloride, an element of table salt.
• A single teaspoon of salt contains 2000mg
of sodium.
• The moderate requirement for adults, including
pregnant and lactating women, is about 2400mg
of sodium per day.
• Neither decreasing the intake nor increasing
it is recommended – most women will get adequate
supply of this mineral from their regular diets.
• The clearance of salt by the kidneys is
substantially increased during pregnancy – pregnant
women lose more salt than non-pregnant women.
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• In general when you stumble on guidelines
warning you on the dangers of eating too much
salt, the warning is all about limiting your sodium
intake.
• If frozen convenience food is your thingy,
look for products that contain less than 800mg
of sodium per serving. Canned soups, most fast
foods, luncheon meats and macaroni and cheese
mix are some examples of foods high in sodium.
• Condiments such as ketchup, soy sauce,
mustard, pickles and olives can be high in sodium
– go easy on these.
•
In healthy normal people, the kidneys help regulate
the sodium level – excess sodium is excreted from
your body through urine and perspiration.
• Therefore when you eat foods high in salt,
you will probably urinate more often because your
body is trying to rid itself of the excess sodium.
Your body will work efficiently every day at maintaining
a proper balance of salt irrespective of your
sodium intake.
• Using salt for taste provides sufficient
dose of this mineral. Choose iodized versions
as the iodine in it will be useful for the fetus
(unless you are hyperthyroid and your doctor recommends
that you avoid iodized salts).
A word on Edema
• Fluid Retention or Edema is a normal consequence
of pregnancy and its cause is not always related
to too much salt. Instead, this condition develops
a lot of times because of increased estrogen and
a greater blood volume. Having said this it is
important that you do not decrease your sodium
intake to relieve edema. Unless otherwise advised
by your doctor, you should not restrict sodium.
Only do so when water retention increases immediately
after consuming salty foods.
• Restriction of sodium can disrupt the
body's delicate fluid balance essential during
pregnancy – extra fluids especially water can
relieve some swelling. If the swelling is excessive
consult your doctor first before you make any
changes to your diet.
• Babies born to women who restrict salt
may have low blood sodium at birth or hyponatremia.
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