How much recommended sodium per day

Chicken breasts, for example, are often injected with a sodium solution that helps maintain their moisture and adds weight to the final product, Kennedy notes.

One way to reduce sodium is to eat less when you go out, and consider ordering sauces or dressings on the side, Kennedy suggests. And when you cook at home, try to make sauces and dressing from scratch and limit how many processed or packaged ingredients go into the recipe. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: October 15, Medically Reviewed. This may show the salt content as a percentage of your reference intake RI , or have colour-coded nutrition information to show whether the salt content is:. Try to eat high-salt foods only occasionally, or in small amounts, and aim to mainly eat foods that are green or amber. If the label only gives sodium, you can work out the amount of salt in it by multiplying the total sodium by 2.

For example, 1g of sodium per g is 2. Other foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. But that's not because these foods are always high in salt — it's because we eat a lot of them.

The following foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often and have smaller amounts:. That means you can cut down on salt by comparing brands and choosing the one that is lower in salt. Nutrition labels can help you do this. If you routinely take an effervescent dissolvable vitamin supplement, or take effervescent painkillers when necessary, it's worth remembering that these can contain up to 1g salt per tablet.

You may therefore wish to consider changing to a non-effervescent tablet, particularly if you have been advised to watch or reduce your salt intake. Sodium is an important nutrient for health. It plays a vital role in nerve and muscle function and helps your body maintain normal fluid balance. Most experts believe that the link between sodium and high blood pressure was first identified in France in 4. Since then, research has established a strong relationship between excessive sodium intake and high blood pressure 6 , 7 , 8 , 9.

Analyzing the urine sodium levels of more than , people from 18 countries across five continents, researchers found that those who consumed more sodium had significantly higher blood pressure than those with lower intakes Using the same population, other scientists demonstrated that people who consumed more than 7 grams of sodium per day were at a higher risk of heart disease and early death than people who consumed 3—6 grams daily People with high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease , as well as older adults and African Americans, tend to be more sensitive to the blood-pressure-raising effects of sodium 12 , Sodium increases blood pressure.

This effect is stronger in certain populations, making them more sensitive to salt and more prone to blood-pressure-related heart disease. For decades, health authorities have urged people to limit their sodium intake to control blood pressure. However, it would almost be impossible to consume this little, still meet your energy needs and get the recommended intake of other important nutrients.

This limit was established based on evidence from clinical studies that sodium intakes above 2, mg 2. The WHO suggests consuming 2, mg 2 grams of sodium per day, and the American Heart Association advises a much lower intake of 1, mg 1. Today, Americans consume much more sodium than health authorities recommend — averaging about 3, mg 3.

However, these recommendations have been controversial, as people with normal blood pressure levels may not benefit from restricting their sodium intake 18 , In fact, evidence to suggest that consuming less salt decreases heart disease risk in healthy people is limited. It may even be harmful Health authorities recommend between 1, mg 1. In a review study comprising more than , people with and without high blood pressure from 49 countries across six continents, researchers examined how sodium intake affected the risk of heart disease and early death The review showed that — regardless of blood pressure — people who consumed less than 3, mg 3 grams of sodium per day were more likely to have heart disease or die compared to people who consumed 4,—5, mg 4—5 grams.

Still, researchers also found that people with high blood pressure who consumed more than 7 grams of sodium per day had a significantly greater risk of heart disease or death than people who consumed 4—5 grams. In both people with high and normal blood pressure, consuming too little sodium has been shown to worsen health more than consuming too much.

People with high blood pressure who consume more than 7 grams of sodium per day should certainly consume less. The same may apply if you have been instructed by your physician or registered dietitian to limit your sodium intake for medical reasons — as in the case of a low-sodium therapeutic diet.

Though health authorities continue to push for lower sodium intakes, reducing sodium too much — below 3 grams per day — may negatively impact health. Studies show that people who consume less than 3 grams of sodium per day are at a greater risk of heart disease and early death than people with an intake of 4—5 grams.

This raises concerns as to whether the current sodium guidelines — ranging from 1, mg 1. Achieving the low amounts of sodium that health authorities recommend can be difficult and may not be best for your health.