Hey everyone, I’m wondering what the ideal intake of sodium is for someone trying to be healthy. Past couple years I’ve worked pretty hard on eating clean & other lifestyle changes, but something I’ve more recently realized is how much god damn sodium is in everything. Especially when I looked at some of the “healthier” restaurants/takeout spots nutritional info that I’d frequent if I wasn’t able to cook at home. Some of these soup/salad places have like 2000mg of sodium in a bowl of soup, like what the fuck….How? From the quick google searches I’ve skimmed according the American health guidelines we’re supposed to consume under 2300mgs so I’m wondering how significant of an impact it can make.
On the internet this is a highly controversial issue, with many - particularly those who align themselves with the keto camp - feeling that reference intakes from government agencies and mainstream nutrition bodies (which advocate 1,500-2,300 mg per day) are too low. This controversy is inflamed by the fact that observational studies often find that sodium intake within the recommended ranges are associated with increased risk of stroke or other negative cardiovascular outcomes (e.g. O’Donnell et al. 2011). Curiously, however, this ‘J-shaped curve’ phenomenon has only occurred when sodium intake is measured using single-spot measurements, with more rigorous measures requiring at least two 24-hour urine samples or multiyear 24-hour collection consistently finding a more linear increase in risk, with rapid acceleration around 2,300 mg per day (e.g. Ma et al. 2021; Engberink et al. 2017). This better concords with estimates of paleolithic intake of sodium, which suggest that humans evolved consuming far less than even the allegedly minimum 1,500 mg per day (Cordain et al. 2005). In all of this it should also be noted that, at least within certain intake ranges, the absolute intake of sodium is less significant than its ratio to dietary potassium intake (Ma et al. 2021).
The above information notwithstanding, my personal advice would be to focus on foods than particular nutrients. In general you shouldn’t find it too hard to avoid excessive sodium intake if you minimise ultraprocessed foods or get most of your foods fresh, frozen or dried rather than canned, pickled or cured. This will also help deal with potassium intake, which is found abundantly in most minimally processed plant foods (grains and nuts being the main exceptions).
References
Cordain L, Eaton SB, Sebastian A, et al. Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;81:341e354.
Ma, Y., He, F. J., Sun, Q., Yuan, C., Kieneker, L. M., Curhan, G. C., … & Hu, F. B. (2021). 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion and cardiovascular risk. New England Journal of Medicine.
O’Donnell, M. J., Yusuf, S., Mente, A., Gao, P., Mann, J. F., Teo, K., … & Schmieder, R. E. (2011). Urinary sodium and potassium excretion and risk of cardiovascular events. Jama, 306(20), 2229-2238.
Olde Engberink, R. H., van den Hoek, T. C., van Noordenne, N. D., van den Born, B. J. H., Peters-Sengers, H., & Vogt, L. (2017). Use of a single baseline versus multiyear 24-hour urine collection for estimation of long-term sodium intake and associated cardiovascular and renal risk. Circulation, 136(10), 917-926.