Sodium and water

isadoc

Hi!
I'm trying to watch my sodium intake -which is usually not that bad as I cook most things from scratch and try to avoid canned ingredients. I've recently realized that I have severe salt cravings when I drink more than 6 or 7 glasses of water a day. Could it be that my body needs to balance sodium and water? any ideas?

VeryKerri

I am very interested in any answers to this question as well. I drink about 18-24 glasses of water a day and I have noticed that my salt cravings are getting to be more and more each day. I know you are supposed to eat at least 1000 mg of salt a day to help regulate your blood pressure and no more than 2500. I try to stay within this range daily, but I find I really want salt the more water I drink.

PaulaDygert

I would talk to your doctor I was recently diagnosed with hyponatremia and basically what happened was I washed the sodium out of my body by drinking too much water. I was drinking WAY more than 7 glasses of water a day tho, more like 30 to 40 glasses of water a day. Our bodies need the right levels of sodium to function right or it can be dangerous. Your doctor would know best and can do a test to see if your body needs more sodium.

PaulaDygert

I am very interested in any answers to this question as well. I drink about 18-24 glasses of water a day and I have noticed that my salt cravings are getting to be more and more each day. I know you are supposed to eat at least 1000 mg of salt a day to help regulate your blood pressure and no more than 2500. I try to stay within this range daily, but I find I really want salt the more water I drink.

Are there any other symptoms you are having? My doctor told me not to have more than 12 glasses of water a day and to substitute Gatorade if I am still thirsty and I found the more Gatorade I drank the less thirsty I was.

Douniap

I am very interested in any answers to this question as well. I drink about 18-24 glasses of water a day and I have noticed that my salt cravings are getting to be more and more each day. I know you are supposed to eat at least 1000 mg of salt a day to help regulate your blood pressure and no more than 2500. I try to stay within this range daily, but I find I really want salt the more water I drink.

Drinking too much water without replenishing your electrolytes will lead to diluting your blood. In other words, you are getting rid of the sodium and most of your electrolytes. Thus the craving..
You need to make sure that you supplement with electrolytes too (an example would be to drink some Gatorade, Powerade, etc..) or even if you don't want the sugar, try adding one small spoon of salt and one spoon of honey to one of your water intakes.
To your health
Dounia

vickthedick

I really wouldnot recommend drinking more then 15 eight oz glasses of water a day.

suchgreatheights91

yea it's good to drink a lot of water but I have a fainting problem and if I dont have enough sodium then I can faint.. my dr told me that everyone thinks sodium is horrible for you but your body really does need it.

isadoc

thanks! I thought the lowest the sodium the better, but it seems we have to balance it out... i'll try drinking gatorade or such...

Douniap

I really wouldnot recommend drinking more then 15 eight oz glasses of water a day.

it all depends on your activity level, temperature, humidity, body mass..
there is no specific number..
The only important thing to remember is to replenish your electrolytes (especially if you are exercising & drinking tons of water. try taking a Gatorade or something similar after 90 min of exercise, or/and if you are feeling the effect of too much water).
it is all about balance.. Yes, you need to keep your sodium intake at a maximum 2500 but if you add too much water to it, you are just "peeing it" out.
take on small spoon of salt and put in in a container. add one or two glasses of water. then taste.. Then continue adding water and each time taste.. you will notice that as you are increasing the amount of water, the salty taste is fading away.. The same thing happens in your body and if not treated can lead to death.. (have you heard of people who drunk themselves to death by water?) it is true..
to your health
Dounia