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High-sodium diets are bad for your health. High-sodium diets have been linked to high blood pressure, cardiovascular events and diseases, and kidney problems. The gut microbiome is also disturbed by high sodium levels. Monitoring sodium levels can help improve gut and other health conditions.Sodium and Git Health

Oftentimes, people are told to watch their sugar intake, but some people have a more difficult time avoiding sodium. Sodium is found in many common foods, even ones that aren’t extremely salty. We know that too much sodium contributes to high blood pressure and other associated conditions. But what is sodium doing to our guts that might be affecting our health in other unexpected ways? Let’s find out.

What is sodium?

Sodium is an element found all throughout the world. It’s found in the earth’s crust and in the human body. Sodium is necessary for cells to function properly. 

Sodium is a mineral that helps the body with everything from nerve impulses to muscle contractions. One of the most common things people know about sodium is that it helps balance our fluid and electrolyte levels. It’s also a key player in maintaining blood pressure, that’s why the DASH diet and other diets suggested for high blood pressure are lower in sodium.

Sodium is found all throughout the body, inside and outside of the cells. It easily passes through the cell wall to help balance levels between the two. 

Sodium is transported via different mechanisms in the body. Sometimes it needs a transporting substrate like amino acids, glucose, or phosphates, while in other areas, there are things like the sodium-potassium pump that help it move where it needs to go. 

Sodium is absorbed by the small intestine and the colon. The kidneys maintain the fluid and sodium balance. When the glomeruli in the kidneys filter the sodium, it can either be reabsorbed or removed from the body. 

Angiotensin II, insulin, norepinephrine, and aldosterone help the body reabsorb sodium that needs to be used. Meanwhile, cAMP, dopamine, prostaglandins, and cardiac natriuretic peptides help remove sodium through urine. Sodium can be removed through sweat and feces as well, though the majority is removed via urine.

How does sodium affect our health?

Sodium is important for balancing fluid levels. The majority of the human body is made up of water and fluids that depend on sodium to function properly. 

Blood is one of the most important places for sodium. Sodium determines our blood volume, which affects our blood pressure. If we do not consume enough sodium, we can end up with a condition called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a condition where the blood does not have enough sodium. This can happen as a result of different things like gastrointestinal issues, drinking too much water (yes, that’s a thing), medications, or dietary restrictions. Symptoms of hyponatremia include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Altered mental state
  • Lightheadedness
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • In severe cases, rhabdomyolysis or comas can occur

Healthy levels of sodium keep our cells and organs functioning correctly. It balances the fluid levels throughout our body so we can feel healthy.

When we get too much sodium in our diet, it also affects our blood volume, raising our blood pressure and predisposing us to other conditions. Excessive sodium taxes the kidneys and their glomeruli by forcing them to work harder to remove the sodium we don’t need. If blood pressure and volume stay elevated, it can lead to other problems like kidney failure and cardiovascular conditions. 

These conditions are more likely to happen when people have high blood pressure and a high sodium intake when they are elderly, diabetic, or obese.

How does sodium affect the gut?

Sugar is typically the focus when looking at dietary interventions to improve the gut. Sugar has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and associated conditions. Unfortunately, sodium has not gotten the same attention, even though it highly influences our health.

Many of the studies that have been conducted have only been done on mice or rats. While these studies are important to give us insight as to how sodium works on different body systems, they don’t always replicate the same way in humans. However, we want to share the information that is available. So here is what we currently know regarding sodium on gut health.

  1. Lactobacillus species are depleted with high sodium intake levels. As a result of this, one study found that immune health suffers from the Lactobacillus depletion. This affected Th17 cells and their immune response. The response of Th17 cells is controlled by the gut. So this study shows that high sodium intake can affect the gut-immune connection.
  2. Another study found that, in addition to the depletion of Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcus species increased, as did the Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes ratio. This study also found that high-sodium diets negatively affected protein digestion, which altered protein expression and folding, sodium reabsorption, and energy metabolism.
  3. Diets high in sodium created many complications for patients with high blood pressure. High sodium diets contributed to changes in the circadian rhythms, making negative changes to the organs. In addition, it was found that changes to the gut microbiome changed short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) expression. All of these contributed to unhealthy cycle changes and contributed to disease progression that wasn’t apparent in those who ate lower-sodium diets.

Managing Sodium Levels Naturally

We need sodium to maintain our health, but there can definitely be too much of a good thing. Meeting daily dietary recommendations is the best way to keep yourself in a healthy range for sodium and water intake to ensure you’re keeping balanced. 

Daily intake of sodium should not surpass 2,300mg according to the USDA. So your first tip is to track your daily intake and see where you can limit from there. Some of the common foods that are high in sodium to keep an eye on include:

  • Chips and other snacks
  • Frozen foods
  • Canned foods
  • Deli meat
  • Cured meats
  • Pizza
  • Tacos
  • Soups

Just because something doesn’t taste salty doesn’t mean that it is low-sodium. Cereals and other processed foods often have more sodium than you would expect and can be secretly adding more to your diet than you realize. 

Drinking enough water can help level out your sodium levels as well. Watch out for hydrating drinks/solutions that contain electrolytes, as they intentionally have high levels of sodium. Water alone will help to dilute sodium levels to keep you balanced.

In addition to restricting unnecessary sodium, focusing on getting high-quality sources of protein, fiber, and prebiotics is a great way to boost your gut microbiome and improve your body’s ability to remove excess sodium. Prebiotics are essential for a healthy gut and immune response and provide more of the healthy SCFA that help maintain health. 

Atrantil is a great source of prebiotics that your gut bugs will love. It feeds them what they want so they can give your body what it needs. Grab your Atrantil here.

All-in-all stick to a healthy lifestyle, watch your sodium and sugar intake, and you’ll be good to go. Work closely with your doctor if you feel like you’re having a difficult time figuring out what your body needs to get back on track. And remember that this article is simply to provide information, not to replace, cure, or diagnose any conditions.

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