The essential mineral sodium is as important to the body as is phosphorus, yet it is considered to be a very dangerous mineral. Sodium is also considered to be dangerous like phosphorus primarily due to the penchant for the addition of sodium based compounds to processed and manufactured foods in the modern food technology industry. One of the main and primary role of the mineral sodium in the body is to actively “pump” out or let in fluids and nutrients in and out of the cells and through cell membranes - thus sodium is involved in cellular transportation occurring across membranes. The name “sodium pump” is often applied to the channels across which such transport occurs in the cells. The greater part of the body’s total sodium content is to be found in the extra cellular fluid outside the cells. The mineral sodium is also absolutely necessary to the functioning of the cells and the body when in normal concentrations in the body. Sodium deficiency can cause several physical symptoms such as persistent headaches, severe muscular cramps, generalized weakness and the collapse of blood vessels. In general, sodium deficiencies are quite rare, as the majority of people consume many more times the required amount of sodium daily - this is about five grams what is generally seen as being more in excess.