How Much Sodium Do You Need Per Day?
Did you know that sodium is a vital part of your everyday diet? Sodium chloride, AKA table salt, is the double-edged sword of key minerals our bodies need to function. Salt is tricky and easy to get too much of. The right amount of salt can keep you up and running, but too much can cause serious health issues. So, how much is too much? And how can you tell?
Salt is an electrolyte and chemical compound made up of 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. Sodium, an alkali metal, is naturally occurring and can be found in oceans, lakes and mineral spring water. Chloride is also naturally occurring and is common in most bodies of water. We use salt in most everything we cook as a seasoning, which can also be found in just about every processed or canned food you see at the grocery store. That makes sense since salt is a stabilizer and preservative, but what else does it do? Well, the right amount of sodium chloride actually keeps your body working as it should. Without salt, our bodies wouldn’t be able to perform vital functions, such as conducting nerve impulses, contracting and relaxing muscles, and maintaining the right balance of water and minerals in our body
Salt works together with potassium to help power our nervous system at a cellular level. Without this dynamic duo, our nerve function and senses would start to fail. Nerve function is related to muscle function, so without a properly firing nervous system your muscles would not have the boost they need to move your body. When you consume too much sodium, you may start to feel thirsty; that’s because your body is triggering your thirst response to help get your water-to-mineral balance back in check. You then release excess amounts of sodium through sweat or urine. Conversely, excessive sweating can cause you to lose too much sodium; this is why you see sports drinks advertise “electrolytes” (including sodium) to help you restore your mineral balance.
Here’s a little context: humans need about 500 milligrams of sodium per day to meet our nutritional requirements. Compare that to the average American, who consumes nearly three times that amount: about 1,300 milligrams per day. So what happens if you consume way more salt than you need? While there is no agreed upon level of sodium that can lead to toxicity in humans, there are some major health issues that can result from long-term overconsumption of salt: High blood pressure, heart and kidney disease, stroke and calcium loss are just a few common risks.
Excess salt in the body can cause high blood pressure because the body holds onto water to balance the sodium content in your blood, which in turn puts pressure on the blood vessel walls. This is also why you may feel bloated after a particularly salty meal; your body is designed to keep its water-mineral balance at proper levels. That blood pressure increase also puts a strain on your organs, especially your kidneys and heart. If your heart is working harder to pump blood, your risk of heart disease and stroke can significantly increase. Since your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood, a higher volume of blood due to retained water makes it harder for them to do their job.
Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level is vital to avoiding stroke and hypertension. Calcium loss occurs when your body is forced to get rid of excess salt (see: urine and sweat above). When you urinate out sodium you don’t need, sometimes it takes calcium with it. That calcium can come from anywhere in your body, but because most of it is found in our bones, the result of calcium loss can be weakened bone density.
It’s easy to overlook salt as a potential risk to your health, especially because it’s such a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives. Common sources of sodium are processed foods, and some restaurants may also use excess salt, especially fast-food chains. Fortunately, if you know where to look, you can avoid taking in too much sodium and protect your health.
Odds are really good that you don’t use nearly as much salt in the food you prepare at home as fast-food and other restaurants use in the meals you buy from them, so it can really benefit your health to regularly cook your own meals from scratch, using minimally processed foods when possible. Another good tip: focusing more on a balanced diet can help keep sodium levels down in your diet and help you eat healthier across the board. This kind of mindful eating may feel unfamiliar at first, but even taking small steps will make it easier to get in the habit of tracking (and shrinking) your salt intake. For example, make it a point to check the nutrition label on the foods you buy at the grocery store. Every food product has a “percent daily value” label somewhere on it, which has the exact amount of sodium in that item. Making sure you keep your sodium from processed foods at or below your daily need (500 milligrams), is an excellent start.
Another first step toward mindful eating is meal prep. You’ve probably seen videos or blogs online with easy recipes for meal prep, and it really is a cinch! Following a low-sodium recipe and making your lunches or dinners ahead of the work week helps you avoid last-minute meal choices (like fast food) that are super high in sodium. If meal prep doesn’t appeal to you, consider keeping a daily food journal. By writing down what you’ve eaten in a day, you can monitor your habits and make changes where you see room for improvement.
Salt is everywhere, and sometimes a salty snack just hits the spot; but, for the sake of your health, consider keeping a closer eye on how much sodium you consume each day. It may be more than you think!
If you are concerned about your sodium intake, talk to your primary care provider. For more health and wellness content, visit the INTEGRIS Health For You blog.
