Sodium default level

CABarb
CABarb Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
HI Everyone,

I've been using MFP for several months, but have never ventured to the message board before, so be kind!

I did a search and didn't see the answer to my question, but I apologize if this has been asked before. My question is the sodium "goal" that defaults in MFP. Mine shows 2500mg per day, which it has since day 1, but I had googled a question earlier this week and noticed on the Health Canada website that they recommend aiming for 1500mg a day, and not going over 2300mg. (the same recommendation is on the Centre of Disease Control's website in the US, so it isn't a difference between countries) I'm just wondering why the MFP sodium default is set so high?

Thanks for your time and any insight you might have!

Replies

  • whatsasize8
    whatsasize8 Posts: 131 Member
    Found this at mayoclinic.com:

    "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you're sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren't sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor. The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day..."

    I thought I read somewhere that 2500 mg of sodium per day should be our upper limit, but of course now I can't find that information. And other sites I searched seemed to show that as we age we should consume much less sodium. The Bradley diet for prenatal care recommends salting food to taste, but it also recommends a diet of primarily whole (unprocessed) foods.

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