Sodium is a substance that regulates the amount of water in the body and osmotic pressure, and is essential for muscle contraction and maintenance of the normal function of nerve tissue. Insufficient sodium causes abnormalities in the regulation of water in the body, confusion in the normal transmission of information in the nervous tissue, and various problems such as muscle cramps and decreased muscle strength. Sodium plays an important role so as to be directly related to the maintenance of life, but if consumed in excess, it causes greater confusion in normal metabolism and causes physical abnormalities such as elevated blood pressure, edema, and overweight. In particular, if you consume excessive amounts of processed foods, instant foods, and fast foods that contain too much sodium to create a salty and stimulant taste, the recommended intake of sodium will be significantly exceeded. It increases the risk of various chronic diseases, metabolic diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases. Therefore, for normal control of sodium, it is important to consume within 5 grams of what is known as the recommended daily intake. In addition, eating a variety of foods that are known to aid in the excretion of sodium also plays a role in helping the body maintain an adequate amount of sodium. So today, let’s check out each of the foods that help with sodium excretion.
Foods that help flush out sodium
1. Banana
One of the best foods to help flush out sodium is bananas. Bananas, characterized by their soft texture and sweet taste, are rich in various essential nutrients, but contain a large amount of potassium, which helps control sodium. One banana contains about 500 mg of potassium, which is four times that of an apple.
It is said that this rich potassium helps the excretion of sodium, helping to control blood pressure and prevent edema. In addition, it is known that the action of various essential nutrients such as dietary fiber, magnesium, and iron contained in bananas is beneficial for preventing constipation, improving sleep disorders, and enhancing immunity.
2. Pear
Pear, characterized by its cool taste and crunchy texture, is said to be a representative food that helps the excretion of sodium. As it contains about 170mg of potassium per 100g of pear, it is said to help prevent blood vessel-related diseases such as high blood pressure by stabilizing blood pressure through the effective excretion of sodium remaining in the body. In addition, pectin, a dietary fiber abundant in pears, is also said to be excellent in helping to control cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, the abundance of water and sugar in the pear helps to speed up energy metabolism, so it is effective in relieving fatigue.
3. Black Beans
Black beans, a type of soybean, are one of the representative foods of black food with a characteristic black color. As it contains abundant potassium of about 1240mg per 100g of black beans, it is said to promote the excretion of sodium in the body and at the same time help prevent vascular diseases such as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis by maintaining normal blood pressure. In addition, key components such as anthocyanin, a black soybean pigment unique to black beans, and isoflavones, are also known to help control blood cholesterol levels and help blood circulation.
4. Onion
Onion, which has a wide range of uses as a food ingredient for various dishes due to its unique spicy and salty taste, is rich in quercetin, allicin, various vitamins and minerals. It is said that it helps a lot in preventing various abnormal symptoms caused by excess sodium remaining in the body by helping the effective excretion of sodium due to its rich potassium content. In addition, the rich quercetin component helps the decomposition of cholesterol and prevents the formation of blood clots. It can be said that the reason why onion is called a round bonfire is due to its excellent efficacy.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli, which was selected as one of the world’s top 10 superfoods by Time magazine for its excellent content of various nutrients, is also included in the effective food to help the excretion of sodium. Each broccoli contains about 450 mg of potassium, which helps to effectively excrete sodium and prevents problems caused by sodium accumulation. In addition, various key ingredients contained in broccoli, such as sulforaphane and vitamin C, are excellent in removing free radicals, toxins, and harmful substances, and are known to have an excellent effect in cultivating the body’s immunity that protects our body from various diseases.
6. Potatoes
Potatoes, which are widely used as ingredients for various dishes and various processed foods, contain 396 mg of potassium per 100 g, which promotes sodium excretion and lowers blood pressure. In addition, the starch contained in potatoes not only restores the damaged stomach, but also has a good effect in improving various diseases caused by an excess of gastric acid.
And potatoes contain so much vitamin C that they are called the apples of the earth. Based on the excellent antioxidant power of abundant vitamin C, it helps to remove free radicals, which are the main culprits that lower the immune function, and increases iron absorption to prevent anemia.
other foods
In addition to the various foods introduced above, various foods such as kiwi, tomatoes, kelp, cucumber, avocado, and pumpkin are also high in potassium. Therefore, it is known that regular intake of these foods helps to discharge excess sodium from the body through various processed foods, processed meats, and instant foods, and helps prevent metabolic and chronic diseases by controlling blood pressure.
