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).
10 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.
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