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.
The sodium-potassium pump is integral in maintaining the acid-base balance as well as in healthy kidney function. Energy is derived from pumping sodium outside the cell, where it becomes concentrated, wanting to push its way back in. This energy is used to remove acid from the body. The sodium-potassium pump also functions to maintain the electrical charge within the cell. This is particularly important to muscle and nerve cells. During nerve transmission and muscle contraction, potassium exits the cell and sodium enters, resulting in a change in electrical charge that causes a nerve impulse or muscle contraction.