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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Sodium
- Overview & Description
- Overview & Description
- Functions and Sources
- Preparation & Expectations
- Results and Values
- Attribution
- Attribution
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Functions and Sources
What food source is the nutrient found in?
Sodium occurs naturally in most foods. It is even present in drinking water. Prepared foods contain the most sodium in the form of salt and food additives.
Convenience foods are designed to be quick and easy to transport, store prepare and eat. To do all this, they need stabilizers, preservatives, and ingredients to improve taste. Sodium does all of that. High amounts of sodium chloride are found in processed meats such as bacon, sausage, and ham, in canned soups and vegetables, and in many frozen foods. Most restaurant food is also high in sodium.
Food additives that contain sodium include:
How does the nutrient affect the body?
Sodium performs the following key functions in the body: