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Sodium
Kick the Habit!

Many Canadians have made great strides to avoid adding salt to their diet. However, they may not be aware of the real culprit – hidden sodium in food. High sodium intake is a global problem, and Canadians consume about double the recommended amount.

Health Canada's recommended sodium intake
Age	Adequate Intake (AI) in mg/day	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) in mg/day
1 - 3	1000	1500
4 - 8	1200	1900
9 - 13	1500	2200
14 - 50	1500	2300
51 to 70	1300	2300
Over 70	1200	2300
* Adapted from U.S. National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine, 2005 AI – adequate intake (recommended average daily intake) UL – tolerable upper intake level (the highest average daily intake level that is likely to pose no risks of negative health effects)

Sodium is a mineral required by the body in small amounts to help regulate fluids and blood pressure. Too much sodium in the diet can make the body retain fluid and increase blood pressure. As well, high blood pressure (also called hypertension) is one of the leading health problems in Canada. It is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. High blood pressure has also been linked to dementia, problems with sexual function, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. One in five Canadian adults has high blood pressure, and at least nine in ten will develop it if they live an average life expectancy.

Reducing sodium intake may help lower your blood pressure. If you have diabetes, good blood pressure is just as important as good blood glucose control in preventing diabetes complications.

What is the difference between sodium and salt?

Salt is a mineral composed mainly of sodium chloride – about 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride. One teaspoon of salt contains about 2300 milligrams (mg) of sodium. A small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. However, most of the sodium we eat is from commercially prepared (restaurant and processed) foods.

Salt comes in a variety of types. Quite a selection is available in the grocery store, including sea salt, Fleur de sel, Kosher salt, seasoning salt, and regular iodized table salt. Table salt contains about 99 per cent sodium chloride, and sea salt contains 95 to 98 per cent sodium chloride.

How much sodium do I need?

Recommendations for sodium are based on age. Current estimates are that the average Canadian's sodium intake is 3400 mg per day, more than double the recommended average intake of 1500 mg per day.

What are the biggest sources of sodium in the diet?

Surprisingly, only 11 per cent of sodium in the diet is from added salt. (Five per cent is added at the table and six per cent during cooking). Some sodium occurs naturally in foods, which accounts for 12 per cent of sodium intake. The other 77 per cent comes from commercial foods. This includes processed meats and cheeses, pizzas, submarines, hamburgers, hot dogs, soups, pasta-based dishes, and tomato and vegetable juices. Sadly, many financially strapped Canadians, such as students and seniors, survive on these less expensive processed foods.

Common higher sodium foods
Food	SERVING	SODIUM (mg)
Chicken flavour 'Cup O'noodles' soup	One individual container (64 grams)	1434
Large cheeseburger with condiments	One burger	1176
Soy sauce	One tbsp	1038
Beef ravioli (canned)	One cup	989
Turkey submarine	Six inch	904
Ham	Two slices (2 ounces)	730
Tomato juice (canned)	One cup	691
Cheese & pepperoni pizza	One slice	683
Hot dog	One	670
Dill pickle	One medium	569
* Source: Canadian Nutrient File, 2010

How can Canadians reduce sodium intake?

In 2007, Health Canada appointed a Sodium Working Group to help reduce sodium intake among Canadians. The group included members from food manufacturing and food service groups, health-focused non-government organizations, the scientific community, consumer advocacy groups, health professional organizations, and various government departments and agencies. In 2010, they published The Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada (see the For More Information sidebar on page 13). The three-part strategy includes voluntary reduction of sodium levels in processed food products and restaurant foods, education and awareness, and research.

The first goal of the working group is to lower our sodium intakes to below 2300 mg daily by the year 2016. Here are a few tips to help.

• Cut back on added salt. Do it gradually if you wish to give your taste buds time to adjust.
  
• Replace the saltshaker with herb and spice blends that do not contain salt.
  
• Experiment with lemon, vinegars, herbs and spices instead of salt when cooking.
  
• Eat a balanced diet by following Canada's Food Guide.
  
• Choose fresh foods more often, as they are naturally low in sodium.

How can label reading be made easier?

Use the Nutrition Facts table found on almost all pre-packaged foods. It provides the amount of sodium as % Daily Value (DV) and milligrams (mg). Remember to check the serving size, as some packages contain two or more servings. Health Canada has excellent information on sodium and label reading.

Here are a few tips for label reading:

Check % Daily Value (%DV) and use the following guidelines:

• 5% DV or less is a little sodium
  
• 15% DV or more is a lot of sodium
  
• Look for products with a sodium content of less than 15% DV!

Examples of rules on nutrient content claims for sodium
Sodium free or salt free	contains less than five mg sodium per serving
Low sodium	low sodium
Reduced sodium	contains at least 25 per cent less sodium than the food to which it is compared Note: some of these products are still high in sodium!
No Salt Added	contains no added salt, other sodium salts or ingredients that contain sodium

Check mg of sodium and use the following guidelines:

• Aim for less than 360 mg sodium per serving!
• Sodium 101 (see sidebar) is a great website by the Canadian Stroke Network. Their printable fridge magnet file provides the following guidelines for sodium amounts.
• Limit canned, convenience, and processed foods, and frozen dinners, as most are high in sodium.
• Enjoy eating out occasionally, but cook at home and take meals to work more often.
  
• Ask servers that your food be prepared with less salt. Request sauces on the side.
  
• Become an expert at reading labels and choose products that are lower in sodium!
• Read claims on labels. Nutrition claims are optional on labels and must follow certain rules from Health Canada. They can help you choose foods with less sodium. Keep in mind that they only highlight one nutrient. You still need to refer to the Nutrition Facts table for more information.

Milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving
Too much	400+ mg
Watch out	200 - 400 mg
Go ahead	0 to 200 mg
* Adapted from Sodium 101

The bottom line

Canadians are consuming too much sodium. This increases our health risk. Most of us are not aware of how much hidden sodium may be in our diets from commercial foods. If Canadians can lower sodium intake by about 1800 mg daily, an estimated 23,500 cardiovascular disease events will be prevented each year. For most of us, that means aiming for 1500 mg of sodium daily. Now is the time to start lowering your sodium intake!

 

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