He has written for Foreign Policy,The Guardian, Foreign Affairs, Politico and a host of other publications. The Interpreter Joins RFE/RL. We are proud to announce that, starting January 1, 2016, The Interpreter will be a special project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
1 Sodium plays a large role in fluid balance, with different variations of sodium determining the shift of water by osmosis from one area of the body to another.  Along with chloride and bicarbonate, sodium is important for the proper regulation of the acid-base balance of the body.
Sodium plays many important roles in the body. It maintains fluid balance and is a main nutrient used in nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. Too much sodium normally leads to hypertension and kidney damage. Most of the sodium consumed in the American diet is from processed food. Even low sodium foods, such as bread and pastas, can also lead to high sodium intake if consumed in large quantities.