Facts about Sodium

1. 07

   Each of your 37 trillion cells relies on sodium ions to generate electrical signals, with nerve cells firing action potentials by pumping sodium across their membranes in milliseconds.

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2. 06

   Seawater contains approximately 10,800 milligrams of sodium per liter, making it roughly 3.5 percent salt by weight and the primary source of commercial sodium chloride extraction.

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3. 05

   Approximately 40 percent of dietary sodium in Western diets comes from bread and bread products, making them the single largest source despite not tasting salty.

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4. 04

   Sodium-potassium pumps in nerve cells use 20-40 percent of the body's resting energy to maintain electrical gradients essential for brain and heart function.

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5. 03

   At 882.6 degrees Celsius, sodium metal melts into a silvery liquid that becomes less dense than its solid form, causing it to float on its own molten state.

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6. 02

   In 1807, Sir Humphry Davy isolated pure sodium for the first time by electrolyzing molten sodium hydroxide, discovering it was a soft metal that could float on water.

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7. 01

   The human body requires approximately 500 milligrams of sodium daily, though most people consume 3400 milligrams, nearly seven times the recommended amount.

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