Although sodium is highly criticized for its role in high blood pressure, few of us know the rest of the story. Without sodium, we would die - it's an essential mineral. It is involved in nearly every body function, including water balance and muscle contraction.
Sodium is found naturally in milk, meats and certain vegetables.
It is also added to foods such as breads, cereals and prepared canned and frozen products. Many factors can affect blood pressure, including family history of high blood pressure, weight, age, physical activity and alcohol intake. Also, a person's blood pressure responds differently to different levels of sodium in their diet. At present, however, there is no way to determine if a person might develop high blood pressure from eating too much sodium. Table salt is just one source of sodium.