The snacks kids love to eat are often rich in sugar, starch, and MSG. Most parents think MSG is a must-watch. because it is not beneficial to the body and may adversely affect health But besides MSG, flour and sugar Another thing parents may overlook is the sodium in snacks, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to kidney disease and other diseases.

What is sodium?
Sodium is a mineral that the body needs. Sodium helps regulate fluid balance in the body. and related to the functioning of the musculoskeletal system The organ that controls the function of sodium is the kidneys. The body receives sodium from salty foods. And from various types of seasonings such as salt, fish sauce, shrimp paste, where the sodium that the body receives is mainly from salt that contains sodium and chloride. (So ​​salt is scientifically called sodium chloride)

As for the excretion of sodium from the body, the body will excrete most of the excess sodium through the kidneys in the form of urine. The second is excreted through sweat at about 25 mmol per day and excreted sodium in the feces in a small amount of about 1-2 mmol. In addition, sodium has other benefits as follows.

- It is an essential mineral for the body.
- Sodium deficiency can cause diseases such as bone diseases.
- Sodium is a component of digestive juices. and is a component of bones and teeth

Consequences of getting too much sodium
Since the kidneys are the organs that regulate the use of sodium in the body, getting too much sodium in the body has a negative effect on the kidneys. The amount of sodium that should be received per day should not exceed 2,400 milligrams, or if it is in the form of table salt, it should not exceed 6 grams per day if the amount of sodium is more than the body needs. will make the kidneys work harder and when the kidneys work hard until they deteriorate It may lead to kidney disease. or eventually acute renal disease

How do you know how much sodium is in snacks?
A simple way to determine the sodium content in a snack is to look at the nutrition facts label. Every bag of candy has a milligram of sodium content. But what to watch out for is the energy per serving. This means one consumption for a large pack of snacks that can be eaten for several days. The nutrition facts label might say: Serving Size: 1/3 sachet (30 g) means this snack can be eaten 3 times, but if eaten all in one go. Both the energy received and the nutritional value received must be multiplied, for example:

Examples of Nutritional Values ​​on Snack Labels

- Serving Size: 1/3 sachet (30 g)
- total energy 150 kcal
- 8 grams of total fat
- Sodium 130 mg.

That means that if you eat all the candy wrappers in one go. Consumers will receive total energy 150 x 3 = 450 kcal. In addition to the amount of calories. What needs to be multiplied is the nutritional value per serving. If the label states that one serving will get 8 grams of total fat, it means that eating the whole bag will get 24 grams of total fat, including the amount of 'sodium'. 650 milligrams

To look at the amount of sodium on the snack bag must be looked at. 'One serving' too, because the sodium we see as low is true. There may be more than you think. Sodium in snacks is considered a silent threat that parents must be aware of. And should take care not to let children eat snacks until they enjoy Because it will cause too much sodium to be at risk of kidney disease.

Information from :: "joker123
"