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FAQ
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Sodium
Atomic No. 11 Symbol-NA Atomic Weight-22.987700
Density-0.971 g/cm3
Algin
Aloe Vera
Juice
Liquid Chlorophyll
This
mineral, although the Western diet contains too much, is important to many
metabolic functions. It is the main chief cation (positively charged ion) in
extracellular fluid (fluid outside the cell). Sodium acts with potassium, which
is the main cation in intracellular fluid (fluid inside the cell), to regulate
and maintain the body's fluid balance. It also helps to control the cell's
permeability for exchanges across cell walls, as well as to activate the
transmission of electrochemical impulses along nerve membranes. Dietary forms of
this mineral are absorbed in the small intestine, and it is metabolization is
instigated by the hormone aldosterone from the adrenal cortex.
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Functions |
Acts with potassium to maintain and regulate the acid/alkali
factor in the blood, keeps other minerals soluble, Co2 transfer (moving
carbon dioxide out of the body), muscle contraction and nerve transmission
(these functions are dependant on sodium's ability to permeate cell
membranes and temporarily replace the intracellular cation potassium),
aids in digestion, necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid in
the stomach. |
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Deficiency can cause |
Very uncommon in humans. If deficiency does occur, it is
usually caused by things such as starvation, excessive vomiting, diarrhea,
or profuse sweating. The result of sodium being lost while water remaining
constant would cause water to infiltrate the cells, which would result in
symptoms of water intoxification, which include mental apathy, muscle
twitching, and anorexia. If water and sodium are lost, extracellular
fluids become depleted and the resulting symptoms would include low blood
volume, low blood pressure, muscle cramping, high hematrocrit (a measure
of the number of red blood cells found in the blood), as well as the
possibility of collapsing of blood veins. Other symptoms of Sodium
deficiency are muscle weakness, poor memory and concentration, anorexia,
acidosis (an abnormal increase in hydrogen in the body from too much acid
or the loss of base, i.e. acid-base),
dehydration and tissue atrophy (a wasting or loss of tissue), abdominal
cramps, ataxia (a blocked ability to coordinate movement), confusion,
crying jags, depression, dermatosis (any condition of the skin that does
not swell), dizziness, fatigue, flatulence, hallucinations, headaches,
illusions, infections, lethargy, nausea and vomiting, seizures, taste
loss, and weight loss. |
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Toxicity symptoms include |
Anorexia, cognitive dysfunction or impairment, edema
(especially with low protein diet), hyperactivity, hypertension,
irritability, polydipsia (insatiable thirst), polyuric (the release of
abnormally large amounts of urine), renal failure, seizures, tremors, and
weight gain. |
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Food Sources |
Common table salt. Natural food sources include milk, meat,
eggs, and certain vegetables such as carrots, celery, beets, spinach, and
other leafy greens. |
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Herbal Sources
(in order of content) |
Dulse, Irish moss, kelp, rose hips, gotu kola, licorice
root, parsley, oat straw, pennyroyal, comfrey, buchu leaf, chamomile
flowers, safflowers, barley grass, peppermint leaf, and wild yam root. |
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RDA |
No RDA has been established, but estimated daily
requirements for a healthy individual are listed as
Infants 0 to 1
year 120 to 200 mg
Children 1
year
225 mg
2 to 5 years 300 mg
6 to 9 years 400 mg
10 to 18 years 500 mg
Adults
500 mg
Pregnant
565 mg
Lactating
635 mg |
Comments: The addition of sodium as a dietary supplement is not
recommended. Sodium intake varies greatly depending on one's diet as well as
their tastes, habits, and customs.
The proper balance of sodium and potassium should be maintained and is
necessary for good health. It is well known that our diets are normally too high
in sodium. This being the case, the best thing to do would be to cut back on
sodium intake, but in the meantime, potassium
supplementation may be necessary, as an imbalance in these two minerals can lead
to heart disease.
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