Additional
Information Regarding A Low-Sodium Diet and Ménière's Disease
Recent scientific information indicates that the inner ear is involved
in the regulation of sodium levels in the body. The damaged ear in Ménière's
Disease is very sensitive to increased levels of sodium in the blood.
Sodium (Na+) is the major action in our food. It combines with
chloride anion (Cl-) to form what we know as table salt, NaCl. Our
bodies maintain the concentration of Na+ in our blood within a very
narrow range. Fortunately, disorders of sodium regulation are rare.
Because we lose small amounts of sodium in our body fluids
(perspiration, saliva, urine) every day, we must eat enough sodium to
replace these losses. Although salt tablets and electrolyte
replacement solutions are used for short-term losses (e.g., playing
sports), they are unnecessary for people who live in warm climates
because the body adjusts very quickly to reduce salt losses from
sweating. Most of us do not worry about sodium metabolism because the
kidneys maintain the sodium concentration by getting rid of the excess
salt we eat. We all learn that salt is a necessary substance early in
our lives and come to rely on salt for food flavoring. Indeed, before
modern refrigeration, salt was widely used as a preservative.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a 2,400 milligram
(mg) sodium diet as an upper limit. This is approximately 1 teaspoon
of table salt. It is very easy to exceed this amount by eating certain
foods high in sodium and by adding salt to our cooking and to our food
at the table. We depend on salt, perhaps too much, to provide flavor
for foods. Certainly, it is one of the least expensive spices.
Although many people dread starting a low-salt diet, it actually is
easier than one might think. This is because our taste buds adapt to a
low-salt diet very quickly and, soon, too much salt becomes
unpleasant. Experts note that we can stay very healthy on a 240 mg
sodium daily diet. Since the 1,500 mg sodium diet is recommended for
people with Ménière's Disease, there is clearly a wide margin of
safety.
The first critical step in a low-sodium diet is to stop salting food
at the table and stop using salt in the cooking. The next step is to
avoid canned foods, which often use salt for preservation and flavor.
The third step is to avoid fast foods, like hamburgers, hot dogs,
pizza, potato chips, and popcorn, where salt is widely used. The
fourth step is to study your diet to estimate the amount of salt you
eat. Finding recipes that use herbs and spices for flavoring will add
zest to your meals and quickly help you forget about table salt. A
"No Salt" salt substitute is available that has no sodium
yet still has a salty taste.
Note that some foods are listed as mg of salt, which is about 40%
sodium by weight. The following lists are all expressed as mg of
sodium.
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