Sodium: Sodium and your health

Learn about sodium and how it affects your health.

On this page

• About sodium
• Sources of sodium

About sodium

Sodium is a mineral that is found in food and in table salt. You need some sodium to stay healthy. Sodium:

• regulates your blood pressure
• helps keep your body’s fluids in balance
• keeps muscles and nerves running smoothly   

Too much sodium may lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for developing:

• stroke
• heart disease

Sodium is added to many foods during processing. It adds flavour and is used as a preservative. 

Most people in Canada eat too much sodium. You can eat less sodium by limiting highly processed foods. 

Sources of sodium

Most of the sodium found in our diet is added to foods during processing.

The top sources of sodium^{Footnote 1} in our diet are:

• soup  
• cheese
• breakfast cereals
• salty snacks such as:
  • nuts
  • chips
  • popcorn
  • pretzels
• baked goods such as:
  • bread
  • muffins
  • cookies
  • crackers
• processed meats such as:
  • burgers
  • sausages
  • deli meats
  • canned meat
  • chicken wings
• ready-made dishes such as:
  • pizza
  • lasagna
  • refrigerated or frozen entrées and appetizers
• sauces and condiments such as:
  • dips
  • gravy
  • ketchup
  • soy sauce
  • BBQ sauce
  • teriyaki sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce

We published updated voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods to encourage the food industry to reduce the amount of sodium in prepackaged foods.

Related links

• Canada’s food guide
• Infographic: A Salty Situation