Sodium is an essential element that should be a part of a balanced diet. Sodium is needed to support key bodily processes such as electrical functions of the heart. However, consuming too much sodium poses a risk to your diet. Understanding how much sodium you should consume and how it affects your health can help you moderate your sodium intake.
General Recommendations for Sodium Intake
The amount of sodium you consume generally corresponds with your target caloric intake. According to MayoClinic.com, if you consume 2,000 calories per day you can consume up to 2,300 mg of sodium per day, an amount still considered to be within a healthy range. Due to the tendency of being at an increased risk for developing certain medical conditions, if you're African-American it is recommended that you reduce your intake of sodium to 1,500 mg per day to lower this risk.
Sodium and Mature Adults
MayoClinic.com states that if you're an adult age 51 and older, you should reduce your intake of sodium to 1,500 mg of sodium or less. As you age, your diet and nutrition play a larger role in your overall health. Therefore, reducing your intake of sodium can help to prevent the development of medical conditions which could negatively impact your health.
Blood Pressure
Sodium directly contributes to increased blood pressure. Therefore, consuming less sodium lowers your blood pressure and reduces you risk for developing chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, it's also important to reduce your sodium intake from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg per day.
Kidney Health
Processing and storing urine is one of your kidneys' primary functions. Urine contains significant amounts of sodium. The more sodium you consume, the harder your kidneys must work to extract it and prepare it in the form of urine for excretion. Reducing your sodium intake from 2,300 mg of sodium reduces the stress placed on your kidneys and helps to prevent chronic kidney disease.
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