Salt in your diet is the chief source of sodium, a mineral that your body needs along with potassium to maintain blood pressure and proper muscle and nerve function. Because the body needs more potassium than sodium in the blood at all times, a shift in the levels of these nutrients has far-reaching effects. If your diet grows too high in salt and too low in potassium, your risk increases for high blood pressure and electrolyte or pH imbalances.
Potassium Requirements
Having enough potassium in your body offsets sodium intakes, which are typically greater than the body requires. Your body absorbs dietary potassium into the bloodstream during digestion and uses it in protein synthesis, cell formation and many other processes, including maintaining fluid balance in and around the cells. For these tasks, a healthy body needs an average daily intake of 4,700 mg of potassium. Beans, potatoes and other vegetables, bananas and other fruits, milk products, meats and fish are good sources of dietary potassium. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests utilizing this variety of food sources rather than mineral supplements to achieve your full daily value, or DV, of potassium.
Sodium Requirements
Thanks to the ubiquitous use of salt in prepared foods, few Americans get less sodium than they need. Blood pressure and fluid balance and nerve and muscle support require only 200 mg of sodium per day, while the average intake is about 3,400 mg. For healthy people, a safe limit for sodium consumption is 2,300 mg per day, while people with cardiovascular risks should get less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
Effects
In the correct ratio, sodium and potassium sustain normal blood pressure by regulating the amount of fluid in the blood and around the cells. Because potassium mitigates the effects of sodium in the body, low potassium and high sodium intakes can lead to high blood pressure over time, as the fluid-electrolyte imbalance becomes chronic. High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Improper dietary intakes can make you more likely to suffer from alkalosis following dehydration from excessive sweating, vomiting or diarrhea.
Significance
You can adjust your salt and potassium intakes to achieve the correct mineral ratio recommended for health and lower cardiovascular risk set by the Institute of Medicine. Absent any kidney problems, if you consume the recommended DV of potassium, the average DV of sodium will strike a natural balance in your body. While meats and fish provide some potassium, fruits and vegetables are complementary sources that help you achieve your daily potassium totals. By eating fewer processed foods, you can keep your sodium intake in bounds.
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