Dietary deficiency of sodium in human body

A dietary deficiency of sodium is virtually unheard of in healthy adults. The element is widely distributed in food stuffs. Plant source contain less than animal products and are therefore prominent on low sodium diets.

Processed food of all kinds tend to have a high sodium content since many sodium compounds are used in preserving, tenderizing and flavoring.

Therefore, human diet generally contains more sodium than necessary. Sodium is readily absorbed and it circulates though the entire body. It is excreted through the kidney as chlorides and phosphates.

Excessive loss of sodium may result from vomiting, diarrhea, or profuse sweating. Depletion is usually, although not always, associated with concurrent later loss and it is the balance of sodium and water losses that will determine whether serum sodium is increased, decreased or remain normal.

The excessive loss can lead to a shocklike syndrome as blood volume falls, perfusion of tissue becomes insufficient, and veins collages.

There was a research that men deprived of food in an arctic environment lose large amount of sodium during the first days of starvation, but because this loss is accompanied by diureses, serum sodium levels remain unchanged.
Dietary deficiency of sodium in human body