When most people hear “sodium,” they think of table salt and warnings about high blood pressure. But sodium is far more than just a seasoning — it’s an essential mineral that your body relies on for survival. Organic forms of sodium, found naturally in whole foods and mineral-rich plants, are especially important because they come in a bioavailable, balanced form that supports overall health without the risks of overprocessed salts. As Dr. Jensen indicates, “Table salt (Inorganic Sodium) is Not Compatible with the Human Body. Vegetables and fruits possess an organic (biochemical), assimilable form of sodium.“
Sea salt and mountain salts such as Himalayan salt come from natural, earthly environments and are generally preferable to refined table salt in cooking. However, they still exist in a mineral “rock” form. Much like soil contains minerals plants can transform into bioactive nutrition—but are themselves not directly usable by our cells—these salts provide minerals that are largely non-bioavailable, unless first incorporated into living plant foods.
What Is Organic Sodium?
Organic sodium refers to sodium naturally occurring in whole foods, plants, and mineral-rich sources, as opposed to highly processed table salt or synthetic sodium additives. It’s often found in:
- Seaweed and kelp
- Mineral-rich vegetables like celery, beets, and chard
- Broths made from organic bones and vegetables
- Fermented foods like miso and sauerkraut
Unlike refined salts, organic sodium comes paired with other trace minerals and cofactors that help the body absorb and use it efficiently.
Key Benefits of Organic Sodium
1. Supports Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
Sodium works closely with potassium and other electrolytes to maintain fluid balance in and around your cells. This ensures that your tissues stay hydrated, your organs function optimally, and your body can recover from stress or exercise efficiently.
2. Essential for Nerve and Muscle Function
Sodium is critical for generating electrical signals in your nerves and muscles. From a heartbeat to a simple movement, sodium ensures that your muscles contract properly and your nervous system communicates effectively.
3. Helps Regulate Blood Pressure
Balanced sodium is necessary for maintaining healthy blood pressure. While excess processed inorganic sodium can contribute to hypertension, adequate organic sodium helps regulate blood volume, vascular tone, and cardiovascular function naturally.
4. Supports Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
Sodium is a key component of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid), which breaks down food and allows nutrients to be absorbed efficiently. Without sufficient sodium, digestion can slow, leading to nutrient deficiencies and digestive discomfort.
5. Maintains Acid-Base Balance
Sodium plays a role in maintaining your body’s pH balance. Adequate sodium supports kidney function, helping your body excrete acids and maintain a stable internal environment — critical for cellular health and overall metabolic function.
Pathology: What Happens When Sodium Is Out of Balance
Sodium Deficiency (Hyponatremia)
Low sodium levels can occur due to dehydration, excessive sweating, certain medications, or chronic illness. Symptoms may include:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness or confusion
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea and headaches
Severe hyponatremia is a medical emergency because it can lead to seizures, brain swelling, and organ failure.
Excess Sodium (Hypernatremia)
Excess sodium, often from processed foods or overuse of salt supplements, can strain the kidneys and cardiovascular system. Symptoms may include:
- High blood pressure
- Swelling and water retention
- Thirst and dehydration
- Increased risk of heart and kidney disease
The key is balance — organic sodium from whole foods provides the mineral in a way that the body can use safely and effectively.
How to Get Sodium the Right Way
Focus on whole, mineral-rich, organic sources:
- Seaweeds like kelp, dulse, and nori
- Celery, beets, chard, and other mineral-dense vegetables
- Bone broths and vegetable broths
- Fermented foods like miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut
These sources provide sodium in a form your body recognizes, along with cofactors that aid absorption and prevent imbalance.
Sodium is far more than just “salt.” It’s an essential mineral that:
- Regulates fluid balance and electrolytes
- Supports nerve and muscle function
- Maintains healthy blood pressure
- Aids digestion and nutrient absorption
- Keeps your body’s pH stable
The best way to get sodium? Organic, whole-food sources that nourish the body without overwhelming it. By focusing on real food and minerals, you give your body exactly what it needs to thrive — every cell, every day.
Cheat Sheet: Points to Remember
The “Youth Element”
Sodium (NOT SALT) is known as the youth element because it keeps the body supple, flexible, and limber. People with strong sodium balance tend to maintain a youthful appearance well into older age.
What Sodium Does
- Supports soft, pliable joints
- Keeps calcium dissolved so it can properly enter bone (preventing kidney stones, calcification, gout, etc.)
- Maintains healthy lymph fluid (lymph is naturally sodium-rich)
- Nourishes the spleen — one of the body’s main sodium organs
- Regulates the stomach’s acid balance (both hyper- and hypo-acidity)
- Supports bowel movement efficiency
- Clears excess acidity by neutralizing acids
- Helps prevent mucus buildup, catarrh, and thickened secretions in sinus, throat, bronchial, and digestive tissues
- Works alongside potassium to maintain the body’s alkaline balance
Where Sodium Lives in the Body
Sodium is stored throughout nearly all connective and structural tissues:
joints, cartilage, ligaments, synovial fluid, bone tissue, muscles, stomach walls, GI tract, liver, spleen, lymph, and even blood cells.
The stomach wall and joints are the first major storage sites.
When sodium is depleted:
- Joints begin collecting calcium deposits
- The stomach becomes low in acid
- Digestion slows
- Bowel elimination becomes sluggish
Signs of Sodium Deficiency
- Gout
- Joint stiffness
- Poor digestion or hypo-acidity
- Calcification issues (joints, kidneys, tissues)
- Excess mucus / catarrh in respiratory or digestive tracts
Best Sodium Foods (Organic Sodium)
- Celery
- Parsley
- Okra
- Goat milk & goat whey (goats are a sodium-dominant species—limber and agile)
- Dr. Jensen’s Veal Joint Broth or Bone Broth
- Potato peel broth (high in potassium, used for balancing)
It takes about 3 months to rebuild depleted sodium reserves.
The Sodium–Potassium Relationship
- Sodium neutralizes acids
- Potassium drains acids
- Balance is crucial
- For excess weight or water retention → temporarily emphasize potassium foods & broths
Broths for Sodium Replenishment
- Goat whey
- Veal joint broth or Bone Broth (excellent for glands, ligaments, digestion, and restoring youthfulness)
- Whey for arthritis, rheumatism, and cholesterol dissolution
Organic Sodium Compounds (Biochemical Forms)
- Sodium carbonate → fat metabolism, pancreatic cooperation, intestinal alkalinity
- Sodium bicarbonate (as found naturally in tissues) → supports sinuses, lungs, throat, bronchial health when deficient
- Sodium chloride
- Sodium phosphate → works with bicarbonate, found strongly in carnivorous tissues
An alkaline sodium-rich diet can help with acidic urine, kidney/bladder calcium deposits, and mucus conditions.
Sodium and chloride work together as essential minerals that support digestion, cellular cleansing, fluid balance, and nervous system function. When obtained from whole foods like celery rather than refined table salt, this mineral pair helps promote stomach acid production, remove metabolic waste, maintain hydration, and support healthy nerve signaling throughout the body.