# what is the minimum intake of sodium per day **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530 "2013-07-03T12:38:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/1 "2013-07-03T12:38:33Z")
I was trying to find this online and am confused. Several sites say a person needs about 500/mg day minimum, but they don’t say if that is the minimum for good health, or just the minimum to survive. For example, the minimum caloric intake for survival is roughly 1200/day. but that is not a good life, it is a life of fatigue, illness, hunger, etc. however most people will survive on 1200 calories a day. the minimum needed to survive and the minimum for good health are not the same. so with sodium what is the minimum intake for survival, and what is the minimum intake for good health? I assume the two numbers are not the same. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/2 "2013-07-03T13:08:52Z")
Huh! After an ugly hospitalization for some rather spectacular high blood pressure, I was sentenced to life on a reduced sodium diet. (Turns out some people are more sodium reactive than others!) 1200-1400mg per day. And I am thriving, not just surviving. I somewhat unintentionally lost weight, about 20+ lbs. mostly from replacing crunchy, salty carb rich snacks with raw fruits and veggies! I will be interested to see what others have to say about this topic! ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/3 "2013-07-03T15:00:39Z")
I don’t have the cites on me, but potassium intake is generally more important than sodium intake for blood pressure. unless, like you the person is salt sensitive. but even so, I’ve heard on a high potassium diet even salt sensitive people are not negatively effected by salt anymore if they get enough potassium. again, no cites just things I’ve read in journals over the years. I assume with a diet high in plants you have a 4-1 or so ratio of K to Na. point is both sodium and potassium intake matter to cvd health. also a higher potassium intake helps prevent diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/4 "2013-07-03T15:07:47Z")
I’ve been on potassium and magnesium since I left hospital. But the specialist who was treating me (hypertension has been his life’s study, while teaching at the uni, phd in pharmacology, and is the most published on this topic, in this country) does not share your view of it ‘not affecting’ persons who are sodium reactive by nature. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/5 "2013-07-03T15:18:33Z")
The answer is “it depends”. Both sodium, and to a lessor extent, potassium are lost when sweating. If you are in a nice air conditioned office then driving back to your AC’ed home in an AC’ed car, you don’t need all that much salt. Most developed countries have an excess of salt in their diets. However if you are an outside construction worker or think that running a 5K or riding a bike 20 miles after work in the heat is a fun idea, you need more sodium and maybe potassium. Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning or dilutional hyponatremia, can happen when your electrolyte balance is off especially with low sodium. People occasionally die from this. I’ve seen people on long, hot bicycle rides and runs drinking nothing but plain water and suffering. This is stupid as you’re just asking for water intoxication. Also your body might start running out of fuel after about 2 or 3 hours. Which brings us to sports drinks. Most have carbs for fuel and extra sodium plus maybe potassium and other minerals and electrolytes. If you are dripping sweat or exercising for more than 2 hours, you may well need something like a sports drinks. If you do want to drink just plain water then please snack on something like salted pretzels or peanuts. Excess sodium and carbs in your body are bad. Insufficient sodium and carbs can be worse. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/6 "2013-07-03T15:18:59Z")
I’m going on what I’ve read, I’m not a cardiologist. nonetheless studies have shown a high potassium diet can reduce or negate the negative effects of sodium in salt sensitive people. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/7 "2013-07-03T15:42:47Z")
I have a friend who was recently hospitalized for lack of sodium (on a stupid diet). I think he sustained some actual brain damage. He is not the same guy. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/8 "2013-07-03T16:14:23Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > so with sodium what is the minimum intake for survival, and what is the minimum intake for good health? Minimum intake should be 2300 mg/day. [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all&\_r=1&](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&) > [@](#): > > But the new expert committee, commissioned by the Institute of Medicine at the behest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there was no rationale for anyone to aim for sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams a day. The group examined new evidence that had emerged since the last such report was issued, in 2005. > > “ **As you go below the 2,300 mark, there is an absence of data in terms of benefit and there begin to be suggestions in subgroup populations about potential harms** ,” said Dr. Brian L. Strom, chairman of the committee and a professor of public health at the University of Pennsylvania. He explained that **the possible harms included increased rates of heart attacks and an increased risk of death.** ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/9 "2014-08-26T19:22:41Z")
According to the latest NEJM study, sodium intake below 3,000 mg/day was associated with increased risk of death and cardiovascular events: [http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889?query=featured\_home#t=articleTop](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889?query=featured_home#t=articleTop) > [@](#): > > As compared with an estimated sodium excretion of 4.00 to 5.99 g per day, an estimated excretion of less than 3.00 g per day was also associated with increased risks of the primary composite outcome (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.44), death from any cause (odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.66), a major cardiovascular event (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.50), death from cardiovascular causes (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.31), and stroke resulting in death or hospitalization (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.76) (Table 2, and Table S2 in the Supplementary Appendix). These associations remained significant after adjustment for blood pressure or prior diagnosis of hypertension. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/10 "2014-08-26T21:33:11Z")
Your kidneys will excrete an excess of salt and keep it in if there is no excess. Your sweat glands are less advanced, they excrete about 0.9 grams of sodium per liter according to Wikipedia. Which is strange, because I thought blood plasma had 0.9 grams of _salt_ (40% sodium + 60% chlorine) per liter, but unhelpfully Wikipedia lists the sodium content of plasma in millimoles/liter rather than gram/liter… The amount you need to take in (if you don’t sweat more than average, I assume) is often cited as 500 mg/day, which is 1250 mg salt a day. You’ll get that much eating less than three slices of bread a day. Or a chicken breast. Unprocessed plant foods have almost no sodium, though. Interestingly, humans have a tendency to eat at least 6 g salt (2400 mg sodium) per day, which suggests (but far from proves) that this is a good amount for the human body. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/11 "2014-08-26T22:50:10Z")
The diets in most developed nations usually has more than enough sodium in it. A exception may be if you sweat a lot for a long time. For example there have been people who have gotten ill and even died from drinking plain water while sweating during things like a marathon run. When I do things like a 50 to 100 mile bike ride, I consume sports drinks, like Gatorade, which contain extra sodium. I’ll also eat things like PayDay candy bars which have a lot of sodium. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/12 "2014-08-27T02:17:23Z")
> [@iljitsch](#): > > **The amount you need to take in (if you don’t sweat more than average, I assume) is often cited as 500 mg/day, which is 1250 mg salt a day. You’ll get that much eating less than three slices of bread a day**. Or a chicken breast. Unprocessed plant foods have almost no sodium, though. I checked my bread label, and now me are confused. It says: Serving size, 1 slice. Sodium, 170 mg., 7% of Daily Value. Okay, so three slices = 510 mg, very much like what **iljitsch** says here. But what of that 7% statistic? Three slices of that only adds up to 21%, not 100%. Is that only the minimum survivable intake, as opposed to optimal intake? What is wrong here? (Am I being ignorant of what “Daily Value” actually means?) ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-minimum-intake-of-sodium-per-day/662530/13 "2014-08-27T03:28:29Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I checked my bread label, and now me are confused. > > It says: Serving size, 1 slice. Sodium, 170 mg., 7% of Daily Value. > > Okay, so three slices = 510 mg, very much like what **iljitsch** says here. But what of that 7% statistic? Three slices of that only adds up to 21%, not 100%. Is that only the minimum survivable intake, as opposed to optimal intake? What is wrong here? (Am I being ignorant of what “Daily Value” actually means?) I wouldn’t worry about wiki TMI. 170 mg sodium ~ 7% DV 2400 mg sodium = 100% DV