Sodium: How to tame your salt habit
Find out how much sodium you really need, what high-sodium foods to avoid, and ways to prepare and serve foods without adding sodium.
By Mayo Clinic StaffIf you're like many people, you're getting far more sodium than is recommended, and that could lead to serious health problems.
You probably aren't even aware of just how much sodium is in your diet. Consider that a single teaspoon of table salt, which is a combination of sodium and chloride, has 2,325 milligrams (mg) of sodium – more than the daily amount recommended in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
And it's not just table salt you have to worry about. Many processed and prepared foods contain sodium.
See how sodium sneaks into your diet and ways you can shake the habit.
Sodium: Essential in small amounts
Your body needs some sodium to function properly because it:
- Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
- Helps transmit nerve impulses
- Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles
Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your body sodium is low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When body sodium is high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.
But if for some reason your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to build up in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases, which makes your heart work harder and increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.
Some people's bodies are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. If you're sodium sensitive, you retain sodium more easily, leading to fluid retention and increased blood pressure. If this becomes chronic, it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and congestive heart failure.
Sodium: How much do you need?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day.
Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you're sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren't sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor or dietitian.
Sodium: What are the major dietary sources?
The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day — much more than recommended. Here are the main sources of sodium in a typical diet:
- Processed and prepared foods. The vast majority of sodium in the typical American diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. These foods are typically high in salt and additives that contain sodium. Processed foods include bread, pizza, cold cuts and bacon, cheese, soups, fast foods, and prepared dinners, such as pasta, meat and egg dishes.
- Natural sources. Some foods naturally contain sodium. These include all vegetables and dairy products, meat, and shellfish. While they don't have an abundance of sodium, eating these foods does add to your overall body sodium content. For example, 1 cup (237 milliliters) of low-fat milk has about 100 mg of sodium.
- In the kitchen and at the table. Many recipes call for salt, and many people also salt their food at the table. Condiments also may contain sodium. One tablespoon (15 milliliters) of soy sauce, for example, has about 1,000 mg of sodium.
Products and Services
- Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet
- The Mayo Clinic Diet Online
- Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health
- Book: The Mayo Clinic Kids’ Cookbook
See also
- Healthy-eating habits
- 5 strategies to improve eating habits
- Reduce sugar in your diet
- Acai berries
- Add flax to your diet
- Added sugar
- Alcohol use
- Alkaline water
- Are energy drinks bull?
- Art of Healthy Eating
- Artificial sweeteners
- 2015-2020 Dietary guidelines
- Breast-feeding nutrition: Tips for moms
- Butter vs. margarine: What's healthier?
- Caffeine: How much is too much?
- Is caffeine dehydrating?
- Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
- Carbohydrates
- Chart of high-fiber foods
- Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers
- Coffee and health
- Diet soda: Is it bad for you?
- Dietary fats
- Dietary fiber
- Do you drink enough water?
- Prickly pear cactus
- Don't go cuckoo for coconut water
- Make healthy snack choices
- Eat more of these key nutrients!
- Eggs: Bad for cholesterol?
- Energy drinks
- Fat grams
- Fiber: How to get your fill
- Fit more fiber into your diet
- Flaxseed for breakfast? You bet!
- Foods for healthy skin
- Grape juice health benefits
- Health-boosting nutrients
- Is chocolate healthy?
- Healthy eating: What are legumes, anyway?
- Healthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
- Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid tool
- High-fructose corn syrup
- High-protein diets
- Alcohol during the holidays: 4 ways to sip smarter
- Takeout containers
- Is sea salt healthier than table salt?
- Is there more to hydration than water?
- Juicing
- Depression and diet
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- MUFAs
- Multigrain vs. whole grain
- Need a snack? Go nuts!
- Need more fiber? Do it the easy way
- Nutrition Facts label
- Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
- Olive oil
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- Phenylalanine
- Protein: Heart-healthy sources
- Healthy eating plans
- Reduce sugar in your diet
- Health foods
- High-fiber diet
- Portion control
- Planning healthy meals
- Social eating can be healthy and enjoyable
- Sodium: Look beyond the saltshaker
- Stevia
- Tap water or bottled water: Which is better?
- Taurine in energy drinks
- Time to cut back on caffeine?
- Trans fat: A double whammy
- Trans fat
- Trans fat substitutes: Not always better
- Underweight: Add pounds healthfully
- Daily water requirement
- Water softeners and sodium
- Functional foods
- What's considered moderate alcohol use?
- What to know before you juice
- What's the difference between added sugars and total sugars?
- What's the difference between juicing and blending?
- Yerba mate