Sodium

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Calliope610
Calliope610 Posts: 3,771 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How much do you monitor your sodium consumption, and do you stress about going over MFP's 2500/day?

I know too much sodium will cause water weight, but I'm not worried about that - I'm more concerned with my "fat weight" and reducing it than I am worried about retained water.

Is sodium like sugar, in that if there is no medical reason to restrict/monitor your consumption, you will be okay as long as you follow a balanced diet? I have borderline hypertension, but it is managed with Lisinopril.

Am I risking my health by having sodium levels about 2500, but less than 3000?

Replies

  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    how much potassium do you (actually, not MFP numbers) get?

    I'm going to almost unequivically say no, an honest number 2500-3000 mg is not likely to cause ANY adverse health reaction.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    No reason to limit yourself to any number less than 3000 unless you have high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires it.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,771 Member
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    how much potassium do you (actually, not MFP numbers) get?

    I'm going to almost unequivically say no, an honest number 2500-3000 mg is not likely to cause ANY adverse health reaction.

    I have started tracking my potassium and adding it to my diary entries that are missing that info. Case in point, Monday sodium was 3050, tracked potassium was 2146. Does adequate potassium lessen the risks of too much sodium?
  • Mistizoom
    Mistizoom Posts: 578 Member
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    No reason to limit yourself to any number less than 3000 unless you have high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires it.

    I agree. Don't worry about it. The medical community has unnecessarily demonized sodium. Depending on your diet, enough sodium can actually help you retain potassium, they go hand in hand. It's good to get plenty of both.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    how much potassium do you (actually, not MFP numbers) get?

    I'm going to almost unequivically say no, an honest number 2500-3000 mg is not likely to cause ANY adverse health reaction.

    I have started tracking my potassium and adding it to my diary entries that are missing that info. Case in point, Monday sodium was 3050, tracked potassium was 2146. Does adequate potassium lessen the risks of too much sodium?

    in some cases yes.

    Adequate potassium is also a sign that you are eating the "right" food for a majority of your diet as it and fiber are typically associated with nutrient dense foods.

    Regardless, correcting discrepencies is why we have all these fabulous internal organs to keep things in equilibrium.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    how much potassium do you (actually, not MFP numbers) get?

    I'm going to almost unequivically say no, an honest number 2500-3000 mg is not likely to cause ANY adverse health reaction.

    I have started tracking my potassium and adding it to my diary entries that are missing that info. Case in point, Monday sodium was 3050, tracked potassium was 2146. Does adequate potassium lessen the risks of too much sodium?

    Yes Potassium counteracts with the sodium so if your eating a lot of potassium then you should be just fine. High amounts of sodium can make you feel bloated and it can cause high blood pressure. We all need to have it just don't need to overdo it. When I first started here I was losing weight but feeling bloated. My daughter advised I watch the sodium and I feel so much better since I have.
  • junejadesky
    junejadesky Posts: 524 Member
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    No reason to limit yourself to any number less than 3000 unless you have high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires it.

    I agree. Don't worry about it. The medical community has unnecessarily demonized sodium. Depending on your diet, enough sodium can actually help you retain potassium, they go hand in hand. It's good to get plenty of both.

    I agree with these.... I have to closely track sodium because of gastric issues that I have, but before those started I didn't pay any attention to it. You could just watch and see if you are feeling extra "bloated" to check what you ate that day and if your sodium was high. If I have certain foods high in sodium I actually have trouble closing my hands into fists or putting my feet in shoes because I get so bloated. If you don't notice anything then don't worry about it.

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