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Sodium in diet - Recommendations

Alternative Names

Diet - sodium (salt)

Recommendations:

Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). Table salt is 40% sodium; 1 teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium.

Healthy adults should limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day while individuals with high blood pressure should consume no more than 1,500 mg per day. Those with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, and kidney disease may need much lower amounts.

Specific recommendations regarding sodium intake do not exist for infants, children, and adolescents. Eating habits and attitudes about food formed during childhood are likely to influence eating habits for life. For this reason, moderate intake of sodium is suggested.

Sodium content

Reviewed last on: 5/26/2010
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc, and David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine.

References

Lichtenstein AH, et al. AHA Scientific Statement. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006;114:82-96.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dietary Guidelines for Americans -- 2005. Chapter 8: Sodium and Potassium. Accessed May 25, 2010.

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Sodium in diet - Recommendations

Alternative Names

Recommendations:

References