What Is Recommended Upper Limit For Sodium Per Day?

Sodium helps your body maintain a safe balance of fluids, aids in transmitting impulses from the nerves, and influences contraction and relaxation within your muscles, according to MayoClinic.com. Your body should be able to regulate its sodium levels as long as your kidneys are healthy because your kidneys excrete excess amounts. However, exceeding the recommended upper limit of sodium each day might lead to health problems if you are sensitive to sodium.

Sodium Risks

Sodium will begin to build up in your bloodstream if your kidneys can't excrete excess amounts, and because sodium grabs and holds onto water, having a lot of sodium in your blood causes your blood volume to increase. This causes your blood to exert more pressure on your arteries and makes your heart work extra hard to move your blood through your vessels. Chronically high sodium levels might lead to stroke, heart disease, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. You might be extra sensitive to sodium if you are African American, 51 or over, if you have a relative with sodium sensitivity or if you have an immediate relative with high blood pressure.

Daily Upper Limits

Avoid consuming more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but cut back further to 1,500 mg or lower per day if you are African American, 51 or over, or if you already have diabetes, chronic kidney disease or high blood pressure, recommends the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consider that 2,300 and 1,500 mg per day are upper recommended limits, which means less is generally safer. Also aim for about 4,700 mg of dietary potassium per day to help your kidneys excrete sodium from your body and further reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Foods' Sodium Content

Sodium chloride -- the salt you put on food -- is the top source of sodium in your diet. It contains about 40 percent sodium. For people who should cut back to 1,500 mg of sodium per day, even ¾ tsp. of salt exceeds the daily limit, as it contains 1,800 mg of sodium. Adding 1 tsp. of salt to your food adds 2,300 mg of sodium to your diet. But the salt you use at the table and in recipes isn't the only sodium in your diet. The standard American diet gets about 75 percent of its sodium from salty processed and prepared foods, such as canned foods, prepared mixes and cold cuts, according to the American Heart Association. Fresh foods such as dairy products, produce and shellfish also naturally contain sodium but in much smaller amounts.

Limiting Your Intake

The average American age 2 or over eats about 3,400 mg of sodium every day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you fit into this category, take the salt shaker away from the table and start including more fresh foods in your diet. When cooking at home, eliminate most of the salt from recipes that use salt only for taste and find low-sodium recipes for foods, such as breads. If you want to continue eating prepared or processed foods, look at the sodium content label on packages before you buy. Keep in mind that canned and frozen foods are generally loaded with sodium.