Salt/Sodium

shirleyatsegment
shirleyatsegment Posts: 9 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi
Couple of questions! 1) Are salt and sodium classed as the same thing? - I ask this because the daily diary talks of sodium levels but all packaging in the UK has a salt content only - no mention of sodium.
2) My sodium allowance is massive (over 2000) but I am never getting anywhere near this - is this the same for everyone?
3) By contrast I over-reach my sugar content very quickly (I have a target of 24 and an apple as a snack is 10 for e.g.) and the fat and protein and carbs are quick to mount up but not the calories - so at the end of the day I get a message saying I need to eat something else as my calories are too low...which of course then makes all the other items worse...is anyone else experiencing this and if so where am I going wrong?

Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    Salt and sodium are the same thing. As for daily intake, mine is all over the map. Sometimes I'm a couple hundred under, and other days I'm 2000 over. I don't really pay attention to my sodium numbers, TBH.

    But if you're consistently well under on your sodium, you risk developing an electrolyte imbalance. Our bodies need sodium in order to function properly.
  • shirleyatsegment
    shirleyatsegment Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks CafeRacer808 for your reply. I think in the meantime I have an idea about my Q2 - it seems when many foods are logged the number is put in for grams but the requirement is for mg - so the figures shown are lower than they should be. I've spotted this when adding new foods to the list myself - you have the be exact or it skews the whole thing and I'm not sure everyone has spotted that not all items are listed as per gram. So I think I am getting plenty of salt - it just isn't represented with any accuracy on here.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    Salt and sodium are the same thing. As for daily intake, mine is all over the map. Sometimes I'm a couple hundred under, and other days I'm 2000 over. I don't really pay attention to my sodium numbers, TBH.

    But if you're consistently well under on your sodium, you risk developing an electrolyte imbalance. Our bodies need sodium in order to function properly.

    Very few people ever have to worry about taking in enough sodium unless they are very active, sweat a lot or drink so much fluid that they flush it all out. MOST people can get by with 500mg of sodium per day. Most of that 500mg of sodium will occur naturally in our food without adding more. Food might taste a little bland but to get enough sodium you really don't have to add extra.

    All of this is coming from an avid lover of salty foods that has had to lower their intake and still need to take in less.



  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    Salt and sodium are the same thing. As for daily intake, mine is all over the map. Sometimes I'm a couple hundred under, and other days I'm 2000 over. I don't really pay attention to my sodium numbers, TBH.

    But if you're consistently well under on your sodium, you risk developing an electrolyte imbalance. Our bodies need sodium in order to function properly.

    Technically, they are not. Sodium is an element. Salt is a bond of sodium (~40%) and chloride (~60%).


    OP, it's possible your food entries are not correct in the system. So if you want to open your food diary we an take a look. Also, if your sugar is from fruit, I wouldn't stress it. MFP can distinguish between added sugar and natural sugar, so most people blow that number out of the water.
  • Fondantfancy
    Fondantfancy Posts: 2 Member
    Salt and sodium are not the same thing. Ordinary salt is "sodium chloride" and 1g of it only contains 0.4g of sodium. People confuse this and the figures entered for UK and European foods are very wrong.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    There is approximately 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of table salt. That is the current recommendation. New studies show 3000-5000 mg us ideal for most people.
  • Aerona85
    Aerona85 Posts: 159 Member
    I don't worry about sodium myself...got low blood pressure to begin with and doctor doesn't consider it an issue (unless I don't get enough...been there by accident). Sugar I usually stay under what MFP gives me by 6-10 grams but I don't really watch that either.
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