Is Sodium Bad for You? Separating Myth from Fact

[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?" 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" /> Sodium will get such a foul rap, it's possible you'll be stunned to study that your physique wants salt to outlive (1)! It’s really important. So what’s the deal? Is sodium dangerous for you, good for you, or a little bit of each?

Let’s unpack all this. Hold studying as a result of I’m going to elucidate how sodium impacts your well being. I’ll additionally supply easy ideas that can assist 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 perform, and is critical for muscle contractions, together with your heartbeat (1). In different phrases, it’s not one thing you may reduce out utterly (1).

That stated, steadiness is essential. Too little sodium might be harmful and will result in signs like dizziness, fatigue, and much more severe problems in excessive circumstances (4).

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

Reality be informed, many individuals devour 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).

Should you’re already coping with hypertension, it's possible you'll profit from a fair decrease goal (6). Nonetheless, sodium wants can differ based mostly in your exercise degree and sweat losses (6, 7)

With just a few tweaks—like cooking extra at residence and selecting lower-sodium choices when attainable—you may strike the proper sodium steadiness and help your long-term well being (3).

The Largest Sodium Myths—Busted

Delusion: All sodium is dangerous

Whereas sodium has a foul fame, it’s an important nutrient (1). Your physique wants sodium to control fluids, ship nerve alerts, and help muscle contractions (8). The true difficulty isn’t sodium itself, however how a lot of it we’re getting, particularly from extremely processed meals and restaurant meals (1).

Delusion: Should 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 might stress your cardiovascular system (3). Excessive consumption over time might quietly result in hypertension or pressure on blood vessels, particularly in case your weight loss plan is low in potassium-rich meals like fruits, greens, and beans, since potassium helps steadiness sodium’s results within the physique (3).

Delusion: Sea salt is more healthy than desk salt

Sea salt might sound extra pure, however the sodium content material is sort of equivalent to common desk salt (8). The crystals are typically bigger, so it's possible you'll get barely much less sodium per pinch, however not sufficient to make a significant well being distinction (8).

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

Concerning the Consultants

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and vitamin professional, media persona, vitamin marketing consultant, and creator. Cassetty is a former vitamin 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.

Delusion: 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 include stunning quantities (1). That’s why it’s value studying labels—even on meals that don’t style salty (1).

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

A lot of the sodium in our diets—over 70%—comes from processed and restaurant meals, not the salt shaker (2). Even should you 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).

Delusion: Low-sodium meals style bland

Reducing again on sodium doesn’t imply slicing out taste. With the proper components—like contemporary herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar, garlic, and umami-rich meals—you may construct scrumptious, satisfying meals (2). Your style buds can adapt over time, so give it just a few weeks and it's possible you'll discover a distinction (2).

The place Most Sodium Actually Comes From

Should you’re attempting to chop again on sodium, skipping the salt shaker is a begin—however it’s a drop within the bucket in comparison with the place many of the sodium in your weight loss plan lurks (2).

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

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

Utilizing a instrument like MyFitnessPal may allow you to spot patterns and examine manufacturers. “It could possibly allow you to see how totally different manufacturers examine when it comes to 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 need to get rid of salt solely, however gaining a greater understanding of the place sodium hides can empower you to make extra knowledgeable selections that help your long-term well being (1).

<img 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" /> You may also like

What You Ought to Know About Low Sodium Consuming

How A lot Sodium Is Too A lot?

Federal pointers advocate that almost all adults maintain their sodium consumption underneath 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 vitamin is black or white, and sodium is an ideal instance. Some folks might must be extra conscious about getting sufficient—not much less.

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

Alternatively, should you’re an endurance athlete or work intensely in sizzling climate, your sodium wants may be larger than common (6, 7).

Good Ideas for Managing Sodium Consumption

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

Monitor your meals

“Meals monitoring helps you notice high-sodium gadgets and see how totally 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 may not 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 residence permits you to management how a lot sodium you set into your meals and snacks, which can virtually actually be lower than you'd discover in processed snacks, quick meals, and restaurant meals,” explains Sullivan (3).

Add taste not salt

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

Search for lower-sodium packaged meals

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

Regularly Requested Questions (FAQs)

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

Ought to I reduce out salt utterly? No—your physique wants sodium to perform (8). Most individuals get greater than sufficient by means of day-after-day meals, so the hot button is to keep away from consuming extreme quantities (8).

Is pink Himalayan salt higher for me? Individuals reward the hint minerals in Himalayan salt, however the sodium content material is sort of 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 vegetables and fruit (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 actually occur in excessive circumstances–say, should you’re vomiting excessively (8). When your physique’s sodium ranges drop too low—a situation known 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). At all times verify the label (1).

The Backside Line

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

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