sodium

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kenzietea
kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
in Food and Nutrition
In the food diaries, is the suggested maximum amount of sodium a target you should try to hit or is it okay if you are getting much less? I know you need some sodium but how much is too little?

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  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I think the minimum your body needs is like 1300mg, the max should be 23-2400mg. Definitely try to keep it as low as you can. Excess sodium causes bloating and inaccurate weigh-ins. Booo to sodium!!
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    My doctor informed me the body only 'needs' 500 mg of sodium a day. and there is little fear anyone will be in that range of less than that, as most foods have some natural sodium to begin with.

    If you have high blood pressure you should keep your sodium 1500 to 1800 mg per day MAX.
    Lower is always good *S*
  • Cookie22684
    Cookie22684 Posts: 585 Member
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    I try to keep my sodium intake to 800 to 1000, and i drink plenty of water and green tea
  • Shawna0101
    Shawna0101 Posts: 76 Member
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    You only need 500mg a day, and I notice on days that my sodium is high the scale is not so friendly the next day because it makes you retain water.
  • ESVABelle
    ESVABelle Posts: 1,264 Member
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    You can get plenty of sodium in your diet without ever adding salt. If you are doing a lot of cardio (sweating) and are over-hydrating, a low sodium count can put you at risk for hyponatremia, which can be dangerous. You should be getting about 1500 if you're active because you need to replenish your electrolytes - specifically sodium and potassium because they are key for essential cell functions (sodium-potassium pump of cell membrane). Not to mention, the kidneys filter both sodium and potassium and deficits can result in hormonal changes as well - kidneys release hormones, not even kidding!
  • browneyes1022
    browneyes1022 Posts: 83
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    I personally don't eat a lot of salt I don't even use it on my steamed veggies and if I buy canned veggies I look for no salt and I am normally no where near what MFP says I can have which to much sodium is really bad for you. There is nothing wrong with being under your sodium on MFP. Actually the FDA recommends 2400mg per day but many experts say 1200mg is healthier but most people eat about 4000mg to 6000mg. That's a lot but if u eat fast food a lot that is about right there is aton of sodium in burgers and of course fries. Hope that helped alittle :smile:
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
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    thanks everyone :)

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