Sodium is an essential nutrient you need in order to survive. The average person consumes much more sodium than needed, and this often leads to heart failure, liver disease and kidney disorders, MayoClinic.com warns. Knowing the recommended levels of sodium your body needs to function will help you decide the best way to include sodium in your diet.
Function of Sodium
Sodium is required for the body to maintain a proper balance of water within cells. Sodium is also used to help produce nerve impulses and for the function of your muscles. Without sodium, the water levels within your body become abnormal, leading to a variety of complications. Your kidneys regulate the amount of sodium in your body. When sodium levels are low, the kidneys retain sodium, and when levels rise, excess sodium is excreted in the urine. However, the kidneys can only secrete a certain amount of sodium per day. If sodium levels become too high, the kidneys are unable to secrete all of the excess and sodium begins to build up within your cells.
Recommended Sodium Intake
The minimum amount of sodium needed to establish proper bodily function is 1,500 mg each day, according to Health Canada. With this amount, your body is able to function normally and no sodium-associated complications emerge. The upper recommended sodium level for young, healthy adults is 2,300 mg per day. However, people older than 50, African-Americans and those who suffer from hypertension or kidney disease should only ingest 1,500 mg of sodium daily, MayoClinic.com reports.
Normal Sodium Blood Levels
Measuring sodium within the body requires a blood test. Normal sodium levels in the blood range from 135 to 145 mEq/L, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. As long as sodium levels remain within these levels, you are not at risk for diseases associated with excess sodium. If your levels become abnormally high or low, you will need to talk to your doctor. Abnormal sodium blood levels often suggest an underlying disease or an increased risk for certain diseases, like diabetes.
Sources
The main sources of sodium include processed or prepared foods, natural sources and table condiments. Processed foods like fast food, bread, pizza, cold cuts, bacon and cheese all contain abundant amounts of sodium. Natural sources of sodium include all vegetables, meat, shellfish and dairy products. Most natural foods do not contain as much sodium as processed food. For example, 1 cup of low-fat milk contains only 107 mg of sodium, MayoClinic.com states. Condiments, like salt and soy sauce, contain sodium. One teaspoon of table salt contains all the sodium a healthy adult needs each day, while 1 tbsp. of soy sauce contains 1,000 mg of sodium.
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