Is sodium in hard water harmful to people on salt-free diets?
It depends on the diet. To begin with, the doctor’s instructions should be followed to the letter in all matters pertainiing to the patient. He or she should, however, understand the subject of sodium in water, and be able to calculate the amount present. He needs to be aware that many hard waters contain appreciable amounts of sodium salts, in addition to hardness. Thus the answer depends on the strictness of the patient’s diet. The sodium content of hard or soft water is usually small, compared to the soium content of many foods. But a patient on a very restricted regimen, such as a 200-mg sodium-free rice diet, should use neither hard nor soft water. Instead, he or she should use demineralized or distilled water for cooking and drinking. Such water is readily obtainable. And families need not forgo the advantages of soft water because one member is on a low-sodium diet, just as they would not forgo sugar because one member has diabetes.
It depends on the diet. To begin with, the doctor’s instructions should be followed to the letter in all matters pertaining to the patient. He or she should, however, understand the subject of sodium in water, and be able to calculate the amount present. He needs to be aware that many hard waters contain appreciable amounts of sodium salts, in addition to hardness. Thus the answer depends on the strictness of the patient’s diet. The sodium content of hard or soft water is usually small, compared to the sodium content of many foods. But a patient on a very restricted regimen, such as a 200-mg sodium-free rice diet, should use neither hard nor soft water. Instead, he or she should use de-mineralized or distilled water for cooking and drinking. Such water is readily obtainable. And families need not forgo the advantages of soft water because one member is on a low-sodium diet, just as they would not forgo sugar because one member has diabetes.
