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How much sodium does your body actually need to function properly? Obviously, while restricting salt in your diet can have some health benefits, overkill can have consequences too. So, I'm gonna keep it short and sweet this week. Below are links to three articles that put things in perspective.
- How much sodium do you need? The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences has determined that the recommended minimum safe daily amount of sodium per day is around 500 mg. After all, your body needs a certain amount to help maintain proper fluid levels, carry nutrients to cells, and even...get this maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
- So, how much is too much? There are numerous sources that suggest a range of 1,500 to 2,300 mg. per day. I'll just use the Mayo Clinic for this post.
- Now. How much do we consume on average? Eeeuuww! Here's where it gets a little messy. According to this source, American men consume, on average, between 3,100 and 4,700 mg. per day while American women consume between 2,300 and 3,100 mg. on a daily basis.
So, we're consuming roughly five to ten times what our bodies need to function and a solid twice as much as is recommended. Just trying to figure out if that has anything thing to do with why 73 million Americans suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) and another 59 million are on the brink (pre-hypertension).
Let's take a quick look at the "sandwich" that even has the late night comedians cracking up this week. The new Double Down from KFC has 1380 to 1430 mg of sodium all by itself with no sides. Check out their nutrition guide and you'll see that their pot pies, bowls, and value boxes will get you all the sodium you need without having to eat for the rest of the day.
Bon appetit!
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