What Does Sodium Do For The Body?
Sodium is an essential mineral that plays a role in many important bodily functions, including:
- Regulating fluid balance: Sodium helps to keep fluids inside cells and out of the surrounding tissues. This is important for maintaining normal blood pressure and preventing dehydration.
- Supporting muscle contractions: Sodium is necessary for muscles to contract properly. This is important for all types of movement, including walking, running, and breathing.
- Transmitting nerve signals: Sodium helps to transmit nerve signals throughout the body. This is important for all sorts of bodily functions, including thought, feeling, and movement.
Adults need about 500 milligrams of sodium per day to meet these basic needs. However, most Americans consume much more than that, averaging around 3,400 milligrams per day.
Too much sodium can lead to a number of health problems, including:
- High blood pressure: Sodium causes the body to retain water, which can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
- Heart disease: High blood pressure can damage the arteries, which can lead to heart disease.
- Stroke: High blood pressure can also damage the blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to stroke.
- Kidney disease: High blood pressure can damage the kidneys, which can lead to kidney disease.
It is important to limit your sodium intake to reduce your risk of these health problems. The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
Here are some tips for reducing your sodium intake:
- Limit your intake of processed foods, such as soda, fast food, and packaged snacks. These foods are often high in sodium.
- Choose fresh, whole foods whenever possible.
- Cook at home more often so that you can control the amount of sodium in your food.
- When cooking, use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor your food.
- Read food labels carefully and choose products that are low in sodium.
Can You Take Too Much Sodium?
Yes, it is possible to take too much sodium. This is known as hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is a condition in which the sodium level in the blood is too high.
It can be caused by a number of factors, including dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive sweating. It can also occur in people who consume too much sodium, especially if they have certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease or heart failure.
If you have any health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease, it is important to talk to your doctor about how much sodium you should consume.
It is important to note that the amount of sodium that is considered safe varies from person to person. People with certain medical conditions may need to limit their sodium intake more than others. It is always best to talk to your doctor about your individual needs.
Sodium in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| NR = | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | 1% |
| Arugula | 0% |
| Basil | 1% |
| Beet | 9% |
| Bok Choy | 5% |
| Borage | 5% |
| Broccoli | 4% |
| Brussel Sprouts | 1% |
| Buckwheat | 1% |
| Cabbage | 3% |
| Carrot | 3% |
| Cauliflower | 1% |
| Celery | 4% |
| Chervil | <1% |
| Chives, Garlic | <1% |
| Cilantro | 2% |
| Cress, Upland | <1% |
| Dill | 3% |
| Endive | <1% |
| Fennel* | 2% |
| Fenugreek* | 3% |
| Kale | 2% |
| Kohlrabi | 1% |
| Leek | 1% |
| Lettuce | 2% |
| Lovage | 1% |
| Mustard | <1% |
| Nasturtium* | 2% |
| Onions | <1% |
| Parsley | 4% |
| Pea | <1% |
| Radish | 1% |
| Shungiku* | 2% |
| Sorrel | <1% |
| Spinach | 9% |
| Sunflower | 1% |
| Swiss Chard | 14% |
| Tat Soi | 1% |
| Tokyo Bekana | <1% |
| Turnip* | 3% |
Calculate the %DV based on Your Serving Size
You can use the calculator below to estimate the %DV of Sodium based on your average serving size. If you weighed your microgreens in ounces, you can use the first row to calculate the weight in grams and then enter that value into the lower calculator.
