- With Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
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Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Dr. Sheldon Sheps, emeritus professor of medicine and former chair of the Hypertension Division in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1960.
Dr. Sheps, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in hypertension and peripheral vascular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary approach with specially trained nurses, dietitians, technicians and educators to help form a team approach to the treatment of patients with abnormal blood pressure.
"I have always believed in involving the patient and family in their health care," he says. "I have asked for their understanding of the illness and issues and for participation in decisions. The Web is a natural extension of that, and now many more people can be informed."
Dr. Sheps chaired the sixth working group, and participated in the fourth, fifth and seventh groups, that developed the then-latest guidelines for hypertension under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He helped write the latest American Heart Association (AHA) report on blood pressure measurement. He chaired an AHA group that produced an online accreditation for blood pressure measurement for health professionals. He has co-authored books, newsletters, CD-ROMs and other Mayo Clinic health information material and joined Mayo Clinic's Web team in 1998. He was medical editor-in-chief of both editions of the "Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure" book; the last edition was published in 2003. He was also medical editor-in-chief of "Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure,'' published in 2008.
He was section editor for each of the first three editions of "Hypertension Primer" for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Sheps was also chairman of the Science Base Subcommittee, National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and was a consultant to the Hypertension Initiative of the World Health Organization. In 1997, he was honored with the Individual Achievement Award on the 25th anniversary of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of NHLBI. In 2009, he was honored as a Distinguished Mayo Alumnus.
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Question
Water softeners: How much sodium do they add?
I'm on a low-sodium diet, so I'm looking for ways to reduce my sodium intake. How much sodium does a water softener add to our tap water?
Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
The amount of sodium a water softener adds to tap water depends on the "hardness" of your water. Hard water contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium — dissolved from the soil by rainwater. Some water-softening systems remove calcium and magnesium ions from hard water and replace them with sodium ions. The higher the concentration of calcium and magnesium, the more sodium needed to soften the water. Still, the amount of sodium in softened water that was originally very hard shouldn't be cause for concern.
The majority of sodium in the average diet comes from table salt and processed foods. The water from your tap may add a small amount of sodium to your diet, depending on the type of softener you use, but not a significant amount. As a general rule, an 8-ounce (236 milliliters) glass of softened tap water contains less than 12.5 milligrams of sodium. According to the Food and Drug Administration nutrient guidelines, this is in the very low-sodium range. The best way to decrease the sodium in your diet is by cutting back on table salt and processed foods.
If you're concerned about the amount of sodium in your softened water, there are some things you can do:
- Switch to a type of water-purification system that doesn't replace magnesium and calcium with sodium.
- Buy demineralized water for drinking and cooking.
- Soften only the hot water and using unsoftened cold water for drinking and cooking.
Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- Sodium in drinking water. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/sodium.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- Yarows SA, et al. Sodium concentration of water from softeners. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1997;157:218.
