Why is Sodium Bad for You?
Sodium isn’t bad for, it’s just that we have begun eating far too much of it. The daily recommended amount is between 500 mg and 1000 mg, which equates to only about a half to one and a half teaspoons of table salt. It’s estimated that the average American consumes three to ten times that amount! So you can see, it’s not that sodium is bad for you, it’s that we have a bad sense of how much sodium is in our foods, a bad sense of how much we really need, and we are regularly exceeding daily amounts by a significant amount.
Now, onto why sodium is bad when you consume too much of it. Too much sodium increases your chances of developing high blood pressure, which leads to a whole host of problems including increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Those three things are pretty much game changers, if not career ending, type events.
So, limit your intake of processed foods and try to cook from scratch so you know what’s in your food. Check labels to ensure you aren’t eating something that totally loaded with sodium and you will be fine. A lot of soups and processed foods contain a ridiculous amount of sodium and even things that aren’t salty, like diet sodas, contain sodium. (Diet Dr. Pepper has 55 mg of sodium, which they claim is 2% of the daily recommended value; but is more like 5-10% based on scientific studies of sodium requirements).
16 People have left comments on this post
Apr 30, 2009 - 12:04:08Is high blood pressure the only risk? I have low blood pressure. Can I eat high sodium foods without worrying?
No, there are plenty of other risks but high blood pressure is the biggest one. I would avoid eating high sodium foods all the time.
I love to eat vietmanese soup its called Pho. i am wondering if it has to much sodium and u should not eat much of it?
It does have quite a bit of sodium, just don’t drink the whole bowl!
i am in the military, and i drink about a gallon of water a day. i am told to add a decent amount of salt to all of the food i eat. what is the direct relation between salt and water?
cause there is sodium and only sodium in mount franklin lightly sparkling water can that be hazardous to my health?
The adequate intake (AI) of sodium is 1,500mg/day NOT 500-1,000. This is the minimum amount you should consume each day. Even someone in the hospital on a sodium restricted diet is required to consume at least 1,500mg daily. The tolerable upper intake level (UL) is 2,300mg/day. This is the highest amount of sodium that should be consumed daily. The average American consumes 3,000-6,000mg daily.
In the body, water follows sodium. So, if you consume a lot of sodium, you will retain water. This will increase your blood volume and consequently your blood pressure.
I noticed that Coke Light and Coke Zero contains much less kilojoules but much more sodium than normal Coca Cola. According to your opinions, what would you say is the best, more sodium or more kilojoules and what influence does sodium have on your fat cells?
Thanks for this post! we need info like this!
I would say less sodium is better from an overall health perspective. You can burn kilojoules with more exercise.
I cook a lot of my food at home and I am very stingy when it comes to salt. One can of V8 contains 710mg.
An earlier post by Laura states that the adequate intake (AI) of sodium is 1,500mg/day NOT 500-1,000 and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) is 2,300mg/day.
If I’m not eating that much salt in my dient, does that mean it would be okay for me to drink this?
@ Sue
I also LOVE V8 juice. Luckily for us, V8 comes in a special “low sodium” variety. It is delicious and it is very good for you.
I am a medical resident, and I am having a difficult time understanding why sodium is bad for you, theoretically atleast.
If one has high blood pressure, sodium consumption should be reduced since it increases intravascular blood volume and can therefore further increase hypertension. But I do not think it leads to hypertension as a permanent state but rather as a transient state, and I am not aware of any other health problems it causes. I do not know for sure if it causes permanent hypertension but is bad for those who have hypertension.
Of course certain populations such as African Americans should be more careful (more liable to hypertension), but it seems as if sodium has been elevated to the fear that was relegated to fats and sugars, when it does not deserve the same respect, so to say. Moderation is good I suppose, but unless a particular predisposition or condition warrants avoidance, I do not think it should be avoided or used with extreme caution.
The low calorie drink called fuse has 85 mgs of sodium. Is that a bad drink choice?
The reason why too many too many people consume too much sodium, is because almost every damn food out there contains alot of sodium.
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