How Much Sodium Should we Have Each Day?

[romantico]

I shop for both me and my Mom and I've really been watching our sodium intake. My Mom is diabetic and has swelling of her ankles when she has too much sodium. So far, I have not had any side effects but I know I use to eat a lot of junk food (never checking the label for anything)

So, seems like every item anymore I pick up at the grocery store, I have to study the label. I know we all need some sodium in our diet but how much is too much and what's the right amount?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

1. My mother doesn't get enough

She's on a low sodium diet but it turns out that I haven't given her enough, even though I give her things like Campbell's soup that has lots of sodium. She developed something called hyponatremia or low sodium causing her to have dizziness, headaches, nausea, diarrhea as well as mental confusion. Her doctor recommended keeping her electrolytes like sodium and potassium in proper balance with diet Gatorade. He didn't tell me a specific amount she should consume but apparently drinking lots of water and taking certain blood pressure medication can flush out the electrolytes from the body.

[onehandle]

2. Less.

Always less.

Make your own food when you can, in batches that will last, add no salt, freeze some.

I didn't used to have a taste for spicy food in the past, but I've found that spices can help when you want to cut back on fat and salt.

[Silent3]

8. It is *possible*, although not very probably, to have a sodium deficiency.

It's just very, very difficult to arrange for with our current food supply and dietary habits. You can also sweat and swelter your way to a sodium deficiency by exerting yourself a lot in hot weather.

[romantico]

3. Wow!

I had never heard of that before. Mom drinks a lot of water a day,something I need to do. I thought a lot of chicken soup had lots of sodium so I bought some chicken,broiled it and made my own brother,cut the chicken up with carrots,celery,radishes,and onion. I then put in some wheat pasta rotini. Tastes great with hardly any sodium (you can also buy low sodium chicken broth)

I figure there must be a certain amount a person should eat daily. I stay away from frozen TV dinners if I can.

[Chan790]

4. Here's the government line.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
You should get no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. Some people should get less.
Here are some tips for eating less salt:

• When you're choosing packaged foods, check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts label. Use the percent Daily Value (% DV) to help limit your sodium intake—5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high. You don't want to exceed a total of 100% DV for sodium from all foods in a day. For some people (refer to specific populations section), you don't want to exceed about 65% DV.
  
  
• Compare sodium content for similar foods. This can really make a difference. The table on the next page shows you examples of how you can reduce the amount of sodium you eat by choosing another brand of the same food. Use the Nutrition Facts label to select brands that are lower in sodium.
  
  
• Use the claims on the front of the food package to quickly identify foods that contain less salt or that are a good source of potassium, a nutrient you want to get more of in your daily diet. Examples include "low in sodium," "very low sodium," and "high in potassium."
  
  
• When you're preparing food at home, use herbs and spices to add flavor to your foods, so you don't depend too heavily on salt. Don't salt foods before or during cooking and limit use at the table.
  
  
• When you're eating out, ask that your meal be prepared without salt, or ask the server to identify menu items made without salt.
  
  (http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/toolkit/healthfacts/sodium.htm)

[RebelOne]

5. I have high blood pressure and try to watch my salt intake,

so I use Morton Lite Salt, which has 50% less sodium than table salt. There are some artificial salts on the market, but I think they have a bitter taste.

[romantico]

6. I

I heard Mrs.Fields is a good salt substitute. I also recently tried Boars Head no salt turkey from my local deli and it was not that bad. They also make a no salt swiss cheese. I add sprouts and roasted red peppers with a little bit of miracle whip. This makes a great no/low sodium sandwich.

[Major Nikon]

7. Unless you have or are at risk for high blood pressure, you don't really have to worry about it

It also depends on how much water you drink. Salt is an electrolyte. Too much relative to your water intake can lead to high blood pressure, because it can cause your body to retain more water than it should which constricts blood vessels and can lead to high blood pressure or exacerbate high blood pressure.

[UTUSN]

9. Not so much as what *I* do. n/t

[noamnety]

10. I don't know how much time you have for cooking.

If you can manage it, the best thing is to pick foods where you don't really need to check the label at all.

Produce, meat (if you eat that), dry beans, basic dairy products, real oatmeal. If you limit the rest and make your meals mainly from nonprocessed foods, you won't have to worry about it.

I know that's not entirely practical for everyone, but on the plus side, it's normally cheaper.

[lastlib]

11. I don't know, but, personally, I do like a little dinner with my salt......

[Tanuki]

12. If you are trying to control sodium for your mom's health

take a look at the DASH eating plan. It has been endorsed by these organizations, among others:
◾The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (one of the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services)
◾The American Heart Association (AHA)
◾The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
◾US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure
◾The 2011 AHA Treatment Guidelines for Women
◾The Mayo Clinic.

http://dashdiet.org/

[DebJ]

13. About 2000 mg a day is a nice number to shoot for.

Almost impossible to NOT get that with the American diet.

You are VERY smart to start adjusting for this now, before you have issues. You can gradually
reduce your own salt intake over time and you won't even notice it. In fact, things like canned
chicken noodle soup will become something that is painful to even take a sip of. My husband
had been ingesting about 3800 mg of sodium a day...and ended up with chronic kidney disease.
Now when he eats a low sodium cracker, he occasionally says 'boy, this is salty'. Funny thing
is he ate so much salt, he didn't really enjoy/taste it. Now that he's cut back, he can enjoy
a little salty zing now and then.


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284Sodium: How much do you need?

"The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

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. "


Some items to avoid or use in limited quantities because they are high sodium:
processed lunch meats, ketchup, soda, cheese, canned veggies (vs frozen),frozen meals (TV dinners)
MOST OF ALL: BREAD. Americans ingest a huge portion of their salt intake with BREAD.
Pepperidge Farms has delicious breads that are lower sodium than other brands.
Two of their whole-grain, whole wheat breads are 105-113 mg per slice...look at what is in your
kitchen you will likely find more like 180-200 mg per slice.

Anthing labeled 'low fat' usually equates to 'high salt'...unless it is 'high sugar' instead.

If you eat sandwiches frequently or daily made with lunchmeat, cheese, bread, mayo or mustard or ketchup,
try adding up how much sodium is that sandwich. If this is what you eat often, just altering that one item
in your menu and replacing it could make a very big difference.