Sodium

Karen Hensley, a nutritionist in Dining Services, discusses the role Sodium, Element 11, plays in our diet and lives.

Sodium is an element that the body needs to work properly. Salt contains sodium.

The body uses sodium to control blood pressure and blood volume. Eating too much salt draws extra fluid into your blood vessels which raises your blood pressure and risks of heart disease and stroke. Your body also needs sodium for your muscles and nerves to work properly.

The recommended amount of sodium is 2300 mg per day, but most Americans consume about 3400 mg.

Hensley can speak to the different types of salt as well as foods that tend to be higher in sodium.

Contact director of media and public relations Sunni Brown at sbrown5@richmond.edu to connect with Hensley.