Why can’t a high sodium diet be offset by the consumption of a lot of water?
In: Chemistry
Aside from the water retention/hydration issues, Sodium ions perform important cellular functions. One example: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%2B/K%2B-ATPase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%2B/K%2B-ATPase) The consumption of excess sodium isn’t just flushed away immediately (the same way your body continues to absorb excess calories when you overeat). Do this regularly, for long enough, and you’ll create problems.
The consumption of water only helps one symptom of excess sodium intake, hydration level (as far as I know). This isn’t like neutralizing an acid by adding a base until you get back to a pH of 7.
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