Sodium values - why so wrong?

Trooty

It seems like I have to correct the sodium content of almost every new food that I come across, it’s driving me crazy!

Does MFP provide any guidance/tutorials anywhere for how to calculate sodium content from salt content?

If not, there are plenty of conversion websites available (Google: “salt to sodium conversion” and the second link down is very useful).

I also often find that the sodium content has been added in grams instead of milligrams. Or possibly that the wrong units have been used when the value is converted. Or that the salt value (in grams) has simply been entered in the sodium field. Why??!!

It’s very frustrating, and doesn’t take long to get it right.

Does anyone else find this?

lauren3101

I also find this a lot - I'm assuming some don't understand how to convert salt into sodium, but to be fair, MFP can be a little awkward (for me at least) in that it measures sodium in mg - I don't know about anywhere else, but in the UK, packaging normally lists it as salt, in grams, so the conversions can be confusing!

If the salt content is 1g, I often see sodium entered as either 1mg or 1000mg, both of which are wrong. I believe these are the conversions:

To convert sodium to salt multiply by 2.5
To convert salt to sodium multiply by 0.4

yarwell

it's a database item that many don't bother entering, or get wrong. I don't monitor it myself for this reason - it is not reliable on here.

Trooty

I'm a scientist; I find this sort of inaccuracy really annoying!

johnthomasmoore

It seems like I have to correct the sodium content of almost every new food that I come across, it’s driving me crazy!

Does MFP provide any guidance/tutorials anywhere for how to calculate sodium content from salt content?

If not, there are plenty of conversion websites available (Google: “salt to sodium conversion” and the second link down is very useful).

I also often find that the sodium content has been added in grams instead of milligrams. Or possibly that the wrong units have been used when the value is converted. Or that the salt value (in grams) has simply been entered in the sodium field. Why??!!

It’s very frustrating, and doesn’t take long to get it right.

Does anyone else find this?

Very frustrating. I try to monitor sodium and potassium. Mostly see both values missing.

Trooty

I think I prefer missing to wildly inaccurate to be honest, but either way is frustrating if it is something you are actively monitoring.

yarwell

I'm a scientist; I find this sort of inaccuracy really annoying!

me too, but MFP seem reluctant / unable to curate their database or allow the community to do it for them.

debradee89

lauren3101 wrote: »

I also find this a lot - I'm assuming some don't understand how to convert salt into sodium, but to be fair, MFP can be a little awkward (for me at least) in that it measures sodium in mg - I don't know about anywhere else, but in the UK, packaging normally lists it as salt, in grams, so the conversions can be confusing!

If the salt content is 1g, I often see sodium entered as either 1mg or 1000mg, both of which are wrong. I believe these are the conversions:

To convert sodium to salt multiply by 2.5
To convert salt to sodium multiply by 0.4

I am currently spending so much of my time having to log into desktop MFT to edit the sodium by converting the salt to sodium (I'd been doing it by dividing by 2.5 then multiplying by 1000, but using the multiply by 0.4 is quicker and same so thanks for that!

Pet_Ski

Who puts in the barcoded items? Seems to me, it cannot be done by regular user.

And on those, kind of official food records, the salt conversion is mostly wrong. It is ridigulous, cause there is a notification ”This food is high on Sodium, it has 1298 mg and your daily goal is 2000.” Ok, my goal might just be that 2000 mg Na. Then again, some of the entries have the Sodium content right.

That particular bun has only 520 mg of Sodium on it. Feels kind of stupid to be warned about something gathering two and a half times the rate, than it really is.

ceiswyn

Pet_Ski wrote: »

Who puts in the barcoded items? Seems to me, it cannot be done by regular user.

And on those, kind of official food records, the salt conversion is mostly wrong. It is ridigulous, cause there is a notification ”This food is high on Sodium, it has 1298 mg and your daily goal is 2000.” Ok, my goal might just be that 2000 mg Na. Then again, some of the entries have the Sodium content right.

That particular bun has only 520 mg of Sodium on it. Feels kind of stupid to be warned about something gathering two and a half times the rate, than it really is.

Regular users also put in the barcoded items. Scanning the barcode just does a search, and can bring up wrong entries just the same as anything else.

lynn_glenmont

debradee89 wrote: »

lauren3101 wrote: »

I also find this a lot - I'm assuming some don't understand how to convert salt into sodium, but to be fair, MFP can be a little awkward (for me at least) in that it measures sodium in mg - I don't know about anywhere else, but in the UK, packaging normally lists it as salt, in grams, so the conversions can be confusing!

If the salt content is 1g, I often see sodium entered as either 1mg or 1000mg, both of which are wrong. I believe these are the conversions:

To convert sodium to salt multiply by 2.5
To convert salt to sodium multiply by 0.4

I am currently spending so much of my time having to log into desktop MFT to edit the sodium by converting the salt to sodium (I'd been doing it by dividing by 2.5 then multiplying by 1000, but using the multiply by 0.4 is quicker and same so thanks for that!

Just to be clear to lurkers, you still need to multiply by 1000 after multiplying by .4 if you want milligrams. Of you could multiply by 400 to do it all in one step.

xxxMADMAXxxx

Ahhhh, thanks for posting this. I just figured I was consuming way more salt that I was supposed to- it is the only thing I am going over (although I am pretty sure I have gone over on fats a few times- no mistake on that one).
For sodium, I am almost always in the negatives. I will still watch out for sodium and continue passing on the salt, but I will also stop freaking out every night.