... and one of the chemical elements found in salt. Sodium is a chemical element.It is very reactive, so it isn't found free in nature. Intake of sodium … It maintains fluid balance and is a main nutrient used in nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. Reduced or less sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50% from the regular version. Natural sources of sodium are all around you. The most common compound is sodium chloride. Sodium compounds are used for a wide variety of household products, such as baking soda, lye, and table salt. Sodium carbonate (soda ash) is an important industrial chemical and used in making glass, paper, detergents and water treatment chemicals. In fact, it undergoes spontaneous combustion in water, so while sodium is essential for human nutrition, you wouldn't want to eat pure sodium. Too much sodium normally leads to hypertension and kidney damage. This very soluble salt has been leached into the oceans over the lifetime of the planet, but many salt beds or ‘lakes’ are found where ancient seas have evaporated. Sodium . Sodium, like every reactive element, is never found free in nature. Sodium is the sixth most common element on Earth, and makes up 2.6% of the Earth’s crust. The most common form is halite or rock salt which is sodium chloride, there are salt mines in a number of locations around the world. Sodium as a Food Ingredient. It will be found in combination with other elements. Since sodium is required by all life to exist, it is naturally found in all foods and does not need to be added. Sodium is an alkali metal, found on the leftmost side of the Periodic Table with its compatriots: lithium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and francium. What the other sodium label claims mean. However, a person can get high blood pressure by consuming too much sodium and not enough potassium. But fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains are still relatively lower in sodium than highly processed foods. Low sodium. Each serving contains 140 mg of sodium or less. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes needed for the body to function normally and help maintain fluid and blood volume in the body. At least not as sodium. Sodium is a soft, bright, silvery metal which floats on water. Unsalted or no salt added. Decomposition in water results in … Most of the sodium consumed in the American diet is from processed food. When sodium consumption and loss are not in balance, the total amount of sodium … The Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. The largest source of dietary sodium comes from sodium chloride or table salt. Sodium is not mined. Sodium plays many important roles in the body. The body obtains sodium through food and drink and loses it primarily in sweat and urine. Soap is a compound of sodium with fatty acids. 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