# Do kids, teens, and young adults have to pay attention to sodium intake?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-kids-teens-and-young-adults-have-to-pay-attention-to-sodium-intake/584521
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 6, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-kids-teens-and-young-adults-have-to-pay-attention-to-sodium-intake/584521 "2011-06-06T17:35:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-kids-teens-and-young-adults-have-to-pay-attention-to-sodium-intake/584521/1 "2011-06-06T17:35:42Z")
I was under the impression that the main health problem associated with a sodium-high diet was high blood pressure, which leads to heart problems in adults. However, it’s rather unlikely that young people will have much of a problem with hardening of the arteries or high blood pressure (unless they have some rare condition or they’re obese). As a 22 year old of average weight and acceptable blood pressure, do I have anything to fear from ingesting more than the recommended daily value of sodium? What about for children and teens?
---
### Author:  [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-kids-teens-and-young-adults-have-to-pay-attention-to-sodium-intake/584521/2 "2011-06-06T20:06:36Z")
[Babies’ kidneys simply cannot process large amounts of salt](http://www.livestrong.com/article/276341-high-sodium-levels-in-babies/).
If you check foods aimed at babies and toddlers you’ll often see “low salt” or " no added salt" labels.
Of course, [developing an early taste for salt](http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/salt.aspx) can mean that you [eat more as an adult](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-03-16-salt-risks_N.htm)… when you do have to worry about your BP.
[Interesting little case study about sodium levels in breast milk](http://www.emro.who.int/publications/emhj/0704/high.htm).
---
### Author:  [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-kids-teens-and-young-adults-have-to-pay-attention-to-sodium-intake/584521/3 "2011-06-06T21:45:04Z")
It was discovered shortly after the Korean War that a large percentage of the young fighting Americans had arteriosclosis. It is a fallacy that just because you are young you are immune to the ravages of a bad diet, lack of exercise, etc.
That said, many people do not have to fear salt. It is only a minority of people for whom salt possesses the danger of hypertension.
[http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/8123.htm](http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/8123.htm)
[http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/6996.html](http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/6996.html)