Water in, sodium out

skpresley20

So I was thinking, I go over my sodium a lot, but I drink a lot of water. But lately....I've been wondering if I've been drinking enough to get rid of the excess sodium in my body.

So that got me thinking....does anyone know how many oz of water you'd have to drink to get rid of 1,000mg of sodium?

(or somewhere along those lines)

gashinshotan

i wouldnt do that - it leads to hyponatremia and things like heart attacks brain death..... the majority of the marathon deaths were due to this reason.... also crash dieters have died from messed up electrolytes..... terry schiavo died from drinking too much fluids which flushed out her potassium levels..... potassium imbalance either way can cause heart attacks and nervous damage

jowings

To OP, I am sorry, I have no idea! To poster gash, I don't believe that you can give yourself hyponatremia...I think that it is usually a symptom of a larger issue (congestive heart failure etc.). I am by no means an expert, I just think that is slightly misleading .

gunmetalsunrise

Is the amount you're mentioning how much you consume a day? You don't need to flush out ALL the sodium you consume daily. You do need sodium to survive. It's just excess amounts over a long period of time that can cause health issues.

crisnis

You're kinda looking at it backwards... try to find a way to cut your sodium intake not a way to make it ok. It just doesn't work the way you are thinking.

gashinshotan

you can give yourself hyponatremia if you drink too much water to the point it dilutes Na levels in the blood... thats how marathon runners get it and I read of a few cases of bodybuilders and crash dieters getting it from excessive diuretics.... drinking too much water leads to water toxicity.

To OP, I am sorry, I have no idea! To poster gash, I don't believe that you can give yourself hyponatremia...I think that it is usually a symptom of a larger issue (congestive heart failure etc.). I am by no means an expert, I just think that is slightly misleading .

mirekw

You're actually over thinking this, don't look to cut sodium just to counter it with potassium, such as bananas. That's all you have to do, because sodium is vital, so you just need to focus on countering it instead of reducing; thus, creating balance.

AriannaTiyen42

this
You're kinda looking at it backwards... try to find a way to cut your sodium intake not a way to make it ok. It just doesn't work the way you are thinking.

itontae

irrelevant to fat loss

gashinshotan

"At the onset of this condition, fluid outside the cells has an excessively low amount of solutes (such as sodium and other electrolytes) in comparison to that inside the cells causing the fluid to shift through ( via osmosis) into the cells to balance its concentration. This causes the cells to swell. In the brain, this swelling increases intracranial pressure (ICP). It is this increase in pressure which leads to the first observable symptoms of water intoxication: headache, personality changes, changes in behavior, confusion, irritability, and drowsiness. These are sometimes followed by difficulty breathing during exertion, muscle weakness, twitching, or cramping, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and a dulled ability to perceive and interpret sensory information. As the condition persists papillary and vital signs may result including bradycardia and widened pulse pressure. The cells in the brain may swell to the point where blood flow is interrupted resulting in cerebral edema. Swollen brain cells may also apply pressure to the brain stem causing central nervous system dysfunction. Both cerebral edema and interference with the central nervous system are dangerous and could result in seizures, brain damage, coma or death.[3]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

JasonSwetland

Here are two references for Sodium intake:

This one (see page 4) it gives you reccomended maximum intakes based on your gender and age and for ladies when pregnant:

http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity Files/Nutrition/DRIs/5_Summary Table Tables 1-4.pdf

This one says you only need 550 mg a day to survive:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_sodium_does_a_person_need_in_a_day

This doctor says 116 mg of salt:

http://www.sharecare.com/question/how-much-sodium-per-day

I would ask myself what am I eating that is so high in sodium. Are you eating canned foods? Or eating out alot? Salt is overused as a preservative. Historically 1000's of years ago salt was used to preserve meat, veggies, everything that you ate. The romans paid their soldiers n salt. The practice of using salt as a preservative has continued to the modern era where it is way over used as a preservative (rather than eating things in season).

Its cheap and abundant so food companies would rather fill your food with it too get extended shelf life rather than risk canned goods going bad (which means they take their canned stock back and refund the grocer for the loss). Many chain restaurants use salt in the pre-prepared food to ensure consistent quality (rather than use fresh ingredients and give you quality food.) the problem is its added insurance and the salty tase of these foods are addictive so the food companies dont mind salting you out.

As far as dying from excessive water intake, yes it is possible. However you would need to do that in a very short period of time to put that kind of stress on your body. Here is the best written article I have seen regarding water intake.

http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

He reccomends looking at the water provided by your food choices and the amount of sodium you take in. An important clue is that he does indeed say excessive salt will require you to drink more water to help flush it out. You may also want to consider working out in a sauna suit- within reason- to sweat a little harder which if youve ever tasted your own sweat from your lip- is salty.

For sure the best tool you have to determine if you are getting enough water is too look at your pee. If it is crystal clear, you are getting way too much water and straining your system. It should be a semi cloudy yellow tinged color. On the other hand the darker the yellow of your pee, the more you need to drink.

Bear in mind some foods and several vitamins temporarily change the color of your pee.

So those are three things I think you should consider- reduce the sodium by examining your diet, sweat the salt off if you can, and drink the reccomended amount of water adjusting it based on the color of your pee. Good luck.

gashinshotan

its different for distance runners... if I go running longer than like 7 miles and dont bring gatorade I experience the nausea and dizziness when i try to rehydrate with just water

Here are two references for Sodium intake:

This one (see page 4) it gives you reccomended maximum intakes based on your gender and age and for ladies when pregnant:

http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity Files/Nutrition/DRIs/5_Summary Table Tables 1-4.pdf

This one says you only need 550 mg a day to survive:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_sodium_does_a_person_need_in_a_day

This doctor says 116 mg of salt:

http://www.sharecare.com/question/how-much-sodium-per-day

I would ask myself what am I eating that is so high in sodium. Are you eating canned foods? Or eating out alot? Salt is overused as a preservative. Historically 1000's of years ago salt was used to preserve meat, veggies, everything that you ate. The romans paid their soldiers n salt. The practice of using salt as a preservative has continued to the modern era where it is way over used as a preservative (rather than eating things in season).

Its cheap and abundant so food companies would rather fill your food with it too get extended shelf life rather than risk canned goods going bad (which means they take their canned stock back and refund the grocer for the loss). Many chain restaurants use salt in the pre-prepared food to ensure consistent quality (rather than use fresh ingredients and give you quality food.) the problem is its added insurance and the salty tase of these foods are addictive so the food companies dont mind salting you out.

As far as dying from excessive water intake, yes it is possible. However you would need to do that in a very short period of time to put that kind of stress on your body. Here is the best written article I have seen regarding water intake.

http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

He reccomends looking at the water provided by your food choices and the amount of sodium you take in. An important clue is that he does indeed say excessive salt will require you to drink more water to help flush it out. You may also want to consider working out in a sauna suit- within reason- to sweat a little harder which if youve ever tasted your own sweat from your lip- is salty.

For sure the best tool you have to determine if you are getting enough water is too look at your pee. If it is crystal clear, you are getting way too much water and straining your system. It should be a semi cloudy yellow tinged color. On the other hand the darker the yellow of your pee, the more you need to drink.

Bear in mind some foods and several vitamins temporarily change the color of your pee.

So those are three things I think you should consider- reduce the sodium by examining your diet, sweat the salt off if you can, and drink the reccomended amount of water adjusting it based on the color of your pee. Good luck.

tam120

hyponatremia.... this is the reason marathon runners take salt pills

fiberartist219

In my personal experience, when I consume too much sodium, I start to bloat and retain water. When this happens, it doesn't matter how much water I drink. It just takes a certain amount of time (a few days) of not over consuming sodium for it to just flush out on it's own.

gashinshotan

Yeah - if I eat salty foods, even under my goal calories, I gain like 2-3 lbs that stay on for at least a couple of days... I know it's just water retention because its impossible to lose 3 lbs overnight on the scale hahah....

jowings

"At the onset of this condition, fluid outside the cells has an excessively low amount of solutes (such as sodium and other electrolytes) in comparison to that inside the cells causing the fluid to shift through ( via osmosis) into the cells to balance its concentration. This causes the cells to swell. In the brain, this swelling increases intracranial pressure (ICP). It is this increase in pressure which leads to the first observable symptoms of water intoxication: headache, personality changes, changes in behavior, confusion, irritability, and drowsiness. These are sometimes followed by difficulty breathing during exertion, muscle weakness, twitching, or cramping, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and a dulled ability to perceive and interpret sensory information. As the condition persists papillary and vital signs may result including bradycardia and widened pulse pressure. The cells in the brain may swell to the point where blood flow is interrupted resulting in cerebral edema. Swollen brain cells may also apply pressure to the brain stem causing central nervous system dysfunction. Both cerebral edema and interference with the central nervous system are dangerous and could result in seizures, brain damage, coma or death.[3]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

Ah yes, I know what you mean now. Just wanted to point out that, if she isn't a marathon runner, simply drinking a lot of water is not going to give her this condition. I assume that she is just referring to the bloat you get after eating a sodium rich meal. So I assume that we are talking glasses here, not gallons after running a huge distance . But maybe she is a marathon runner!

Newf77

terry schiavo died from drinking too much fluids which flushed out her potassium levels

Unless there is another Terri Schiavo case she passed away after they disconnected a feeding tube.