There's A Difference Between Salt And Sodium. Salt and sodium are not the same, but because the two words are used interchangeably, people are often confused about the difference. Sodium is a mineral that combines with chlorine to form salt. It is a necessary nutrient that helps your body maintain water balance, transmit nerve impulses and contract muscles. For some people, too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure and other related diseases.
Salt is used to season foods and is the primary source of sodium in our diet.
Because we get most of our dietary sodium from salt, health professionals are advising us to eat less salt. At the Wegmans Kitchen we're concerned for people who are trying to limit the amount of salt and sodium in their diets. Only about 500mg of sodium is essential to your diet. Sodium restricted diets can be as little as 1000mg a day and as much as 4000mg. What's right for you should be determined by your health care provider.