Is Sodium Dangerous for You? Separating Fable from Reality

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="534" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/is-sodium-bad-for-you-1024x684.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Is sodium bad for you?" decoding="async" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/is-sodium-bad-for-you-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/is-sodium-bad-for-you-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/is-sodium-bad-for-you-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/is-sodium-bad-for-you.jpg 1348w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Sodium will get such a nasty rap, you might be shocked to be taught that your physique wants salt to outlive (1)! It’s really important. So what’s the deal? Is sodium unhealthy for you, good for you, or a little bit of each?

Let’s unpack all this. Preserve studying as a result of I’m going to clarify how sodium impacts your well being. I’ll additionally provide easy suggestions that will help you navigate your sodium consumption whereas staying inside wholesome limits.

Why Sodium Issues

Sodium performs a significant function in your physique (1). It helps regulate fluid steadiness, helps correct nerve operate, and is critical for muscle contractions, together with your heartbeat (1). In different phrases, it’s not one thing you'll be able to minimize out fully (1).

That stated, steadiness is vital. Too little sodium may be harmful and should result in signs like dizziness, fatigue, and much more severe issues in excessive instances (4).

However on the flip aspect, persistently consuming an excessive amount of—particularly from closely processed meals and restaurant meals—can enhance blood strain, which can elevate the danger of coronary heart illness and stroke over time (1).

Reality be instructed, many individuals eat extra sodium than really useful. By some counts, 90% of Individuals eat greater than the really useful quantity (5). That’s why consultants counsel you retain your day by day consumption under 2,300 milligrams for common wholesome adults (1).

When you’re already coping with hypertension, you might profit from a good decrease goal (6). Nonetheless, sodium wants can range based mostly in your exercise degree and sweat losses (6, 7)

With a couple of tweaks—like cooking extra at dwelling and selecting lower-sodium choices when potential—you'll be able to strike the proper sodium steadiness and assist your long-term well being (3).

The Largest Sodium Myths—Busted

Fable: All sodium is unhealthy

Whereas sodium has a nasty fame, it’s a necessary nutrient (1). Your physique wants sodium to manage fluids, ship nerve indicators, and assist muscle contractions (8). The actual subject isn’t sodium itself, however how a lot of it we’re getting, particularly from extremely processed meals and restaurant meals (1).

Fable: When you don’t have hypertension, you don’t want to fret

Even when your blood strain is in a wholesome vary in the present day, repeatedly consuming an excessive amount of sodium could stress your cardiovascular system (3). Excessive consumption over time could quietly result in hypertension or pressure on blood vessels, particularly in case your food regimen is low in potassium-rich meals like fruits, greens, and beans, since potassium helps steadiness sodium’s results within the physique (3).

Fable: Sea salt is more healthy than desk salt

Sea salt could sound extra pure, however the sodium content material is almost an identical to common desk salt (8). The crystals are typically bigger, so you might get barely much less sodium per pinch, however not sufficient to make a significant well being distinction (8).

Sea salt proponents usually level to the upper mineral content material in sea salt; nonetheless, there are higher sources of minerals (particularly, fruit and veggies). So, there’s not a robust cause to eat sea salt for this objective (8).

Concerning the Consultants

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and diet knowledgeable, media persona, diet guide, and writer. Cassetty is a former diet director for Good Housekeeping and the co-author of the guide Sugar Shock.

Emily Sullivan, RD, is a meals knowledge curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her bachelor’s diploma and accomplished her dietetic internship at The Ohio State College, and obtained her culinary arts diploma from Johnson and Wales College.

Fable: Solely salty meals have sodium

Sodium isn’t simply lurking in chips and pretzels (1). Breads, breakfast cereals, canned items, frozen meals, and even some candy treats can comprise stunning quantities (1). That’s why it’s price studying labels—even on meals that don’t style salty (1).

Fable: When you’re not including salt to meals, you’re not consuming an excessive amount of sodium

Many of the sodium in our diets—over 70%—comes from processed and restaurant meals, not the salt shaker (2). Even if you happen to by no means attain for the salt, dishes like soups, sandwiches, pizza, and salad dressings can rapidly push you over your day by day restrict (2).

Fable: Low-sodium meals style bland

Chopping again on sodium doesn’t imply slicing out taste. With the proper substances—like contemporary herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar, garlic, and umami-rich meals—you'll be able to construct scrumptious, satisfying meals (2). Your style buds can adapt over time, so give it a couple of weeks and you might discover a distinction (2).

The place Most Sodium Actually Comes From

When you’re attempting to chop again on sodium, skipping the salt shaker is a begin—but it surely’s a drop within the bucket in comparison with the place many of the sodium in your food regimen lurks (2).

Packaged snacks, frozen meals, canned soups, sauces, deli meats, some breakfast cereals, and widespread electrolyte drinks can all contribute a stunning quantity (1).

“Monitoring your meals may also help you grow to be conscious of sodium in widespread meals like bread, cereal, sauces, and even flavored drinks,” says MyFitnessPal dietitian, Emily Sullivan (2). “You may be shocked how rapidly sodium provides up from meals you don’t understand have it (2).

Utilizing a instrument like MyFitnessPal may also assist you spot patterns and examine manufacturers. “It could possibly assist you see how completely different manufacturers examine by way of how a lot sodium is in the identical merchandise,” Sullivan provides. Small swaps—like selecting a lower-sodium broth or sandwich bread—can actually add up over time (2).

You don’t should get rid of salt solely, however gaining a greater understanding of the place sodium hides can empower you to make extra knowledgeable decisions that assist your long-term well being (1).

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/everything-you-should-know-about-low-sodium-eating-1024x683.jpg" alt="Everything You Should Know About Low Sodium Eating | MyFitnessPal" class="wp-image-57230 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/everything-you-should-know-about-low-sodium-eating-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/everything-you-should-know-about-low-sodium-eating-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/everything-you-should-know-about-low-sodium-eating-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/everything-you-should-know-about-low-sodium-eating.jpg 1416w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> You may also like

What You Ought to Know About Low Sodium Consuming

How A lot Sodium Is Too A lot?

Federal pointers suggest that the majority adults hold their sodium consumption beneath 2,300 milligrams per day—about one teaspoon of salt (1). However the common American consumes way more, nearer to three,300 milligrams day by day (1).

Nothing in diet is black or white, and sodium is an ideal instance. Some individuals could should be extra aware about getting sufficient—not much less.

For most individuals, although, persistently excessive sodium consumption could elevate blood strain and enhance the long-term threat of coronary heart illness or kidney points (2). That’s why sure teams, together with older adults and people with hypertension, could profit from even decrease targets (3).

Then again, if you happen to’re an endurance athlete or work intensely in scorching climate, your sodium wants may be greater than common (6, 7).

Good Suggestions for Managing Sodium Consumption

You don’t have to chop out salt solely to eat in a wholesome manner (8). That stated, it’s useful to be intentional along with your decisions since sodium hides in so many on a regular basis meals (2). Listed below are some suggestions that will help you keep in a wholesome vary.

Monitor your meals

“Meals monitoring helps you notice high-sodium gadgets and see how completely different manufacturers examine,” says Sullivan (2). “It additionally makes you extra conscious of the place sodium sneaks in—like in bread, sauces, or condiments you won't suppose twice about. (2)”

Cook dinner slightly bit extra

Cooking extra meals at house is one other game-changer since quick meals and restaurant meals can have over-the-top quantities of sodium (3). “Cooking at dwelling lets you management how a lot sodium you place into your meals and snacks, which is able to nearly definitely be lower than you'd discover in processed snacks, quick meals, and restaurant meals,” explains Sullivan (3).

Add taste not salt

You may enhance the flavour of meals with out relying solely on salt (3). Attempt flavoring meals with contemporary or dried herbs, a squeeze of lemon or lime, garlic, vinegar, onions, and umami-rich substances like mushrooms or tomato paste.

Search for lower-sodium packaged meals

“Many manufacturers now provide reduced-sodium choices, and people small swaps could make a significant distinction,” Sullivan notes (3). She suggests studying diet labels and in search of merchandise with 140 mg or much less sodium per serving that will help you keep inside really useful sodium limits (9).

Steadily Requested Questions (FAQs)

How a lot sodium is secure per day? Most adults ought to purpose for lower than 2,300 mg per day (3). Some individuals, like these with hypertension, could profit from even much less—1,500 mg per day (3).

Ought to I minimize out salt fully? No—your physique wants sodium to operate (8). Most individuals get greater than sufficient by means of every single day meals, so the secret is to keep away from consuming extreme quantities (8).

Is pink Himalayan salt higher for me? Folks reward the hint minerals in Himalayan salt, however the sodium content material is almost the identical as common salt (8). And the mineral content material is minuscule in comparison with what you’ll get in nutritious plant meals, like fruit and veggies (8). The query isn’t about which is more healthy–it’s about how a lot you’re consuming general (8).

Can I get too little sodium? It’s unlikely, however it could occur in excessive circumstances–say, if you happen to’re vomiting excessively (8). When your physique’s sodium ranges drop too low—a situation referred to as hyponatremia—it’s often not since you didn’t eat sufficient sodium, however since you took in an excessive amount of water, which dilutes the sodium in your bloodstream (4).

What meals are surprisingly excessive in sodium? Bread, canned soup, salad dressings, cereals, sauces, and even some candy snacks can pack in additional sodium than you’d count on (1). All the time examine the label (1).

The Backside Line

Sodium is crucial to your well being (8). However an excessive amount of can tip the steadiness within the improper path. Many of the sodium in our diets comes from closely processed packaged and restaurant meals–not the salt we add at dwelling (2).

Monitoring your meals with a instrument like MyFitnessPal may also help you notice hidden sources of sodium and see how your consumption stacks up (2). When you’re on the excessive aspect, studying labels and selecting lower-sodium meals is a giant step towards attaining the proper steadiness (2).