Is sodium -that- important?

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  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Depending on conditions and activity, I sometimes supplement a whole lot and not so much other times. There have been days in very hot weather (100+ heat index) where I've been outside hiking or running and was cramping due to low sodium even when getting 10g-12g those days.

    I plan to run trails tomorrow - 14 miles with heat indices mid-90's and dew point mid-70's. You can bet I'm going to take electrolyte tablets. Those of us who eat very low carb need to supplement even more than most also.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    Sodium is definitely an important mineral, but it is one that if you aren't getting enough, you would know it.

    As for Potassium, it is hard to track if you are eating a lot of packaged foods because it is typically not a listed nutrient. But if you have a diet rich in whole foods like avocado, salmon, potatoes, beans, and dairy, you are probably fine.

    I always recommend that people get a blood test to determine their vitamin and mineral levels to determine if they are deficient in anything prior to starting any type of supplement regimen.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How long have you been at your current levels? Do you eat any processed food or go out to eat? I don't eat a ton of processed food, but most of the stuff I do eat like canned beans, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, etc have sodium in them...eating out is a sodium bomb. Do you salt your homemade food?

    It's quite possible that you don't need to do anything particular at all...I personally always found it a hard thing to track accurately.

    I try to eat out only once a week, sometimes twice on the weekend.

    I do mostly eat "clean" so there's not a lot of sodium in my diet. It's mostly in my post-workout protein, casein protein and my salad dressing. I salt my food at home but not a lot. That's why I was thinking of drinking some salt water to top off my day.
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
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    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    Depending on conditions and activity, I sometimes supplement a whole lot and not so much other times. There have been days in very hot weather (100+ heat index) where I've been outside hiking or running and was cramping due to low sodium even when getting 10g-12g those days.

    I plan to run trails tomorrow - 14 miles with heat indices mid-90's and dew point mid-70's. You can bet I'm going to take electrolyte tablets. Those of us who eat very low carb need to supplement even more than most also.

    Oh yeah I remember that from when I used to eat a LCHF diet. I had to drink salt water during those days to make sure I had enough sodium. And I remember all of the extra supplements too! That way of eating was way too hard for me. I have a big sweet tooth that always derailed me. :)
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
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    WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »
    I always recommend that people get a blood test to determine their vitamin and mineral levels to determine if they are deficient in anything prior to starting any type of supplement regimen.

    I give blood a few times a year. I like to go onto Carter's website after a few days to look at my numbers. I don't remember if it shows vitamin and mineral levels. Probably not, huh?
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    I need to eat 8 grams of salt per day for low blood pressure.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,009 Member
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    go52182 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How long have you been at your current levels? Do you eat any processed food or go out to eat? I don't eat a ton of processed food, but most of the stuff I do eat like canned beans, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, etc have sodium in them...eating out is a sodium bomb. Do you salt your homemade food?

    It's quite possible that you don't need to do anything particular at all...I personally always found it a hard thing to track accurately.

    I try to eat out only once a week, sometimes twice on the weekend.

    I do mostly eat "clean" so there's not a lot of sodium in my diet. It's mostly in my post-workout protein, casein protein and my salad dressing. I salt my food at home but not a lot. That's why I was thinking of drinking some salt water to top off my day.

    If you're going out to eat 1 to 3 times a week, it's difficult to believe you need to supplement sodium, unless you're sweating a ton, because most restaurants use a lot of salt.

    Have you discussed this habit of drinking salt water with your doctor? My understanding is that it's not generally recommended for a variety of reasons, including dehydration. If you were adrift at sea and all you had to drink was seawater, you would die from dehydration (unless you figured out how to rig up a desalination system).
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Yes, sodium is important. I remember when my husband and I went to Washington, DC, and it was 100 degrees in the shade. We finally found a vendor cart who had water - we promptly bought 4 bottles, and each downed a bottle. I still felt nauseous. Got a lemonade with salt and sugar in it and instantly felt better.

    I try not to overdo it though. If my salt intake for a day is high, I try to drink more water to compensate.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,509 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    go52182 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How long have you been at your current levels? Do you eat any processed food or go out to eat? I don't eat a ton of processed food, but most of the stuff I do eat like canned beans, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, etc have sodium in them...eating out is a sodium bomb. Do you salt your homemade food?

    It's quite possible that you don't need to do anything particular at all...I personally always found it a hard thing to track accurately.

    I try to eat out only once a week, sometimes twice on the weekend.

    I do mostly eat "clean" so there's not a lot of sodium in my diet. It's mostly in my post-workout protein, casein protein and my salad dressing. I salt my food at home but not a lot. That's why I was thinking of drinking some salt water to top off my day.

    If you're going out to eat 1 to 3 times a week, it's difficult to believe you need to supplement sodium, unless you're sweating a ton, because most restaurants use a lot of salt.

    Have you discussed this habit of drinking salt water with your doctor? My understanding is that it's not generally recommended for a variety of reasons, including dehydration. If you were adrift at sea and all you had to drink was seawater, you would die from dehydration (unless you figured out how to rig up a desalination system).

    Depends on where TO lives. The UK is really scared of salt, and while it's not difficult to get nice, properly cooked food, it's difficult to get food that actually contains salt. Imagine fries without salt! I use salt as a taste enhancer. Leaving out salt makes food so bland!
  • go52182
    go52182 Posts: 133 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »

    Have you discussed this habit of drinking salt water with your doctor? My understanding is that it's not generally recommended for a variety of reasons, including dehydration. If you were adrift at sea and all you had to drink was seawater, you would die from dehydration (unless you figured out how to rig up a desalination system).

    I’ve not discussed this with my doctor. If I’m consistently only getting 1,000-1,500mg a day I don’t see what’s wrong with drinking salt water, the same salt I’d use to over-salt my food, to get closer to my 2,300mg/day goal. I don’t believe that would cause dehydration especially since all I drink is water and usually a ton a day. Where’s the harm in drinking salt water?...that’s measured of course.

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