Recommended Daily Sodium Intake

Salt is an age-old ingredient, used to add taste to the food and also as a preservative. Sodium and chlorine are two components of salt, out of which, sodium consumption should be given a special attention. Everyone of us is quite aware of the fact, that sodium should be consumed in less quantity. But, it has been observed that a large percentage of population consumes more than the recommended daily sodium intake. This sodium is mostly derived from table salt and processed foods.

Role of Sodium

Sodium plays an important role in the body, because it deals with maintaining water balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating muscle contraction and relaxation. Sodium also has a significant role in hydration, by promoting healthy functions of body cells. Sodium is responsible for pushing water into the body cells and potassium pushes the waste out of cell. This helps to maintain a balance of water in the body. Before knowing the recommended intake of sodium, let us first understand the dangers of high and low sodium intake.

Problems with High Intake of Sodium

Less consumption of sodium, has always been a part of the treatment required for lowering high blood pressure. Consuming sodium in an excessive manner directly leads to fatal health problems like heart disease, hypertension, stroke or kidney failure. Our kidneys are responsible for regulating the amount of sodium in our body. They conserve sodium when sodium level is low and they excrete sodium when it is high in amount. Inability of the kidneys to regulate the sodium level in the body, leads to accumulation of sodium in the body. One of the physical properties of sodium is, that it holds water. Thus, this excess sodium holds water, thereby, increasing the volume of the blood. This causes the heart to work harder, for moving the increased volume of blood through the blood vessels. Further, this leads to the increased pressure on the arteries i.e. high blood pressure.

As too much sodium is harmful for the human body, similarly low sodium intake can also cause problems. The deficiency of sodium is called hyponatremia. This can cause severe consequences like seizure, coma or even death. With so many health issues related to sodium intake, it is mandatory that every person is aware of the daily recommended sodium intake.

Recommended Daily Intake of Sodium

There are various factors that govern the recommended daily intake of sodium, these include age and the health condition of an individual. People who are diagnosed with high blood pressure, need to cut down the sodium intake, than the recommended intake for an average adult. 500Mg per day is the minimum requirement of sodium to perform normal body function. The recommended sodium intake per day is less than 2,300mg. But since, many people consume table salt and processed foods in great amount, the recommended intake is set at an upper limit. The table given below gives the detailed amount of recommended intake of sodium for each age group.

Age Group	Recommended Sodium Intake
1 to 3	1000
4 to 8	1200
9 to 50	1500
51 to 70	1300
70+	1200

It is necessary for every individual that he/she meets the recommended intake of sodium, specially for children and hypertension patients. Hypertension patients should cut down the elevated sodium intake at the earliest and achieve the recommended intake.

To avoid excess consumption of sodium, one should cut down the sodium intake by eating fresh fruits, low-salt snacks and by avoiding excessive use of table salt, processed foods and foods high in sodium. Opt for healthy sources of sodium and substitutes for salt, for a healthy you!