Sodium and Weight Loss

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sodium and weight loss

Sodium and Weight Loss

If you’ve tried out any diets lately, then you’ve probably heard how bad sodium can be for weight loss.

And these diets aren’t wrong. Daily sodium intake plays a very significant role in body weight, particularly when it comes to water retention.

This article looks at the relationship between sodium and weight loss, and reviews some simple tips for cutting down on your sodium and burning some extra calories.

Why Your Body Needs Sodium

First, it’s important to understand why your body requires sodium in the first place. Sodium is used for a number of basic bodily processes, including the transmission of nerve signals and the function of muscles. But its most important role is in the balancing of key bodily fluids, particularly calcium and potassium. This balancing act is vital to maintaining your body’s homeostasis or equilibrium.

It’s recommended that adults get at least 500 mg of sodium per day in order to meet these basic physiological needs. The ideal level of sodium intake is 2400 mg per day. To get an idea of that figure, there are 2300 mg of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt!

The 3 main sources of sodium are table salt, salt that is added to foods during processing (usually as a preservative or to enhance flavor), and the salt that occurs naturally in some foods, such as meats and dairy products.

Sodium and Weight Loss

Sodium intake can have a noticeable impact on your weight loss efforts. First, excess sodium in your diet will cause excess water retention, which will make you appear larger and more bloated. This will undoubtedly make getting toned and ripped a difficult task, as you’ll likely never reduce the excess water, no matter how much fat you actually burn.

New research indicates that excess sodium also leads to excess white fat mass. It seems that sodium actually enlarges the fat cells, causing them to store more glucose. When consumed in combination with fatty or sugary foods, sodium also has the ability to mess with your metabolism and cause hunger spikes and cravings!

Article Categories:
Healthy Eating

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