Sodium-Help me understand

PrincessLou71186
PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
edited October 7 in Food and Nutrition
I hear, well read, a lot about sodium and that it should be within a certain range and something to do with it holding water.

Can someone please explain about the Sodium please?

I am very confused about it.

X

Replies

  • lemanda
    lemanda Posts: 116 Member
    Essentially, you want to consume as little sodium as possible. Everything has sodium in it but you want to aim for less than 2500mg a day. (you can edit your food diary to show this so you can keep track.) Too much sodium can cause your body to retain water and to feel bloated and gross. Start by cutting back on the the salt you put on your food or in your cooking, then try to buy low-sodium options of food, especially canned if you can find it.
  • josery1630
    josery1630 Posts: 205 Member
    Too much causes your body to retain water, but it's necessary for your body to function, so you can't cut it out all together. If you end up getting too much in your diet, just drink a lot of water to flush it out.
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Thanks guys, that was very helpful.

    Do I need to increase it, since I started logging last Monday I noticed that one day I had 73mg and most days I'm lucky to get 1000mg? I know 73mg will be TOO low but what about 1000mg?

    What will happen if I continue to consume too little?
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Sodium tends to get a bad rep. Yes, it can cause water-retention. However, it is a vital nutrient in our body's functioning. Most of the studies done on sodium haven't told the whole story. While sodium intake is important to monitor, the majority of issues that have been placed on sodium have arisen from modern "civilized" diets that are deficient in potassium.

    Most of the sodium issues tend to disappear when people eat more natural diets, those that are not filled with processed foods. The studies I have read say that the average ok sodium intake is around 2500mg (not that silly 1500mg from the heart assn, which data conflicts with being a proper amount for the bulk population). But, eating more natural foods will naturally raise your potassium intake. Most diets tend to be very potassium deficient and we need about 4000mg of potassium in our diets.

    So, yes, pay attention to sodium, but don't forget potassium, either. :)
  • calana
    calana Posts: 88 Member
    I believe your body needs about 500mg to function properly. 1000mg should be just fine. Depending on if you drink lots of water though, you may need to up that a small amount.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Thanks guys, that was very helpful.

    Do I need to increase it, since I started logging last Monday I noticed that one day I had 73mg and most days I'm lucky to get 1000mg? I know 73mg will be TOO low but what about 1000mg?

    What will happen if I continue to consume too little?

    Too little sodium can interfere with muscle function READ: cardiac issues.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    I believe your body needs about 500mg to function properly. 1000mg should be just fine. Depending on if you drink lots of water though, you may need to up that a small amount.

    I have never seen these numbers. I've always seen 1500mg as the lowest that should be obtained.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I don't track sodium. I think if you avoid unprocessed food (fast food, packaged food, canned food) you are doing well. Unless your dr. is worried about sodium, I don't think you should be.
  • Crawflowr
    Crawflowr Posts: 106 Member
    You have to be very careful with the sodium data in the database. I have noriced many many times that is is entered wrongly. The most common error is people entering the value in grams as it is more usually reported on packaging rather than in mg. Thus a foodstufff with 0.9g of sodium shows up as 1mg or 0mg when in fact it should be entered as 900mg. If you are concerned about sodium you need to double check the value of every item you eat.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
    I'm tracking it to make sure I get enough. I feel better with a good amount and my blood pressure is usually low, plus I get enough potassium. I think it helps my thyroid too. No problems there, but since I've joined MFP I've seen so many with thyroid problems..I'm proactive! :wink:
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    As the previous poster stated, it is not sodium alone that causes you to retain water. It is the improper balance between sodium and potassium. If you get too much sodium, AND it is paired with a deficiency in potassium, then you will retain water. Generally, drinking lots of fluid can deplete the body of both sodium and potassium which can really complicate your health if you are potassium defecient. You could develop edema (this actually happened to me when I first started here). Drinking lots of water to deplete the body of sodium is only a good idea if you have at least met your recommended levels of potassium.

    This article was very helpful for me when learning about the relationship between sodium and potassium. This is just a blog and not a scientific review, but the information is good.

    http://www.naturalnews.com/024539_potassium_sodium_diet.html
  • josery1630
    josery1630 Posts: 205 Member
    One of the side effects of too little sodium is sluggishness or feeling tired. If you're not feeling tired and everything is operating normally, I wouldn't worry about how much sodium you get. If you're not feeling energized, you might try upping your sodium intake.

    One major thing sodium does is help cool the body through sweat, so if you're not sweating enough, you can overheat. Again, if that's not an issue for you, I wouldn't worry too much about your sodium intake.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Keep in mind that you should balance it with potassium, too!
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    Talk to your doctor if you find yourself consistenly under 1000 and see what he/she says.

    The Cleveland Cardiac Clinic recommends people with high blood pressure keep it under 2000 and people with extremely high blood pressure are sometimes asked to keep it under 1500.

    1000 is really low IMHO. I have slightly high blood pressure, and my doctor cleared me for up to 2500mg per day, and said if I go over 2500 occasionally it's not a huge deal.
  • sauci
    sauci Posts: 94 Member
    Thanks guys, that was very helpful.

    Do I need to increase it, since I started logging last Monday I noticed that one day I had 73mg and most days I'm lucky to get 1000mg? I know 73mg will be TOO low but what about 1000mg?

    What will happen if I continue to consume too little?

    I'm the same as princess I am tracking well below the daily/ weekly amount? is this bad?
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

    Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

    I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

    Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

    I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.

    Sodium and potassium are vital to proper nerve function. Not to get too sciency on you, but that's how nerves send signals within themselves and what neurotransmitters cause to flow in/out of the cell. Also, sodium is used in water balance. Of course we've already addressed in this thread that sodium is also related to blood pressure regulation.

    Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that improper Na/K levels were related to migraine/headache. When things are off in our bodies, our bodies tell us so.

    I'm just a geneticist/molecular biologist, not a physician. If you are having physical issues, please consult your physician or a local clinician. Given the things you've said on here, if we switched seats, I would be talking to my doctor to make sure I was within the levels I should be. :)
  • mea9
    mea9 Posts: 561 Member
    I get migraine with sodium spikes. If I usually get 400-600 mg and I have a day where I eat out and get 2500-3000mg I'm getting a migraine. I'm tracking so I can try to even it out. A few dashes (about 4) with my food in a regular day brings me up to about 1000 so the spike isn't so dramatic. No migraine. My regular day is still low but so is my water intake. I'm working on both.
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

    Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

    I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.

    Sodium and potassium are vital to proper nerve function. Not to get too sciency on you, but that's how nerves send signals within themselves and what neurotransmitters cause to flow in/out of the cell. Also, sodium is used in water balance. Of course we've already addressed in this thread that sodium is also related to blood pressure regulation.

    Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that improper Na/K levels were related to migraine/headache. When things are off in our bodies, our bodies tell us so.

    I'm just a geneticist/molecular biologist, not a physician. If you are having physical issues, please consult your physician or a local clinician. Given the things you've said on here, if we switched seats, I would be talking to my doctor to make sure I was within the levels I should be. :)

    Thanks.

    I see a doctor monthly to monitor them and I've seen a couple of neurologists but no one has ever mentioned Sodium to me. If I can find the cause of my headaches I would be sooooooo happy, been going on for years and effects everything. I can't even get a job because they are that bad.

    I see my doc on Tuesday so I will definitely be mentioning it.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

    Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

    I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.

    Sodium and potassium are vital to proper nerve function. Not to get too sciency on you, but that's how nerves send signals within themselves and what neurotransmitters cause to flow in/out of the cell. Also, sodium is used in water balance. Of course we've already addressed in this thread that sodium is also related to blood pressure regulation.

    Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that improper Na/K levels were related to migraine/headache. When things are off in our bodies, our bodies tell us so.

    I'm just a geneticist/molecular biologist, not a physician. If you are having physical issues, please consult your physician or a local clinician. Given the things you've said on here, if we switched seats, I would be talking to my doctor to make sure I was within the levels I should be. :)

    Thanks.

    I see a doctor monthly to monitor them and I've seen a couple of neurologists but no one has ever mentioned Sodium to me. If I can find the cause of my headaches I would be sooooooo happy, been going on for years and effects everything. I can't even get a job because they are that bad.

    I see my doc on Tuesday so I will definitely be mentioning it.

    I can definitely understand the migraine thing. I had been getting them about 3 days per week. It was awful I couldn't concentrate. Ugh.

    I just did a little search, and I feel so stupid for not remembering this! The guy who's lab was next door to me for 3 years of my career studies sodium channels in epilepsy and migraine. Anyway, here's a paper from his lab connecting sodium and migraine.
    http://www.pnas.org/content/105/28/9799.full.pdf+html

    And for a less science article, which is how I had found his paper...
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/277354-sodium-deficiency-migraines/

    I hope that helps and it might be something to mention to your doc on Tuesday.
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

    Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

    I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.

    Sodium and potassium are vital to proper nerve function. Not to get too sciency on you, but that's how nerves send signals within themselves and what neurotransmitters cause to flow in/out of the cell. Also, sodium is used in water balance. Of course we've already addressed in this thread that sodium is also related to blood pressure regulation.

    Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that improper Na/K levels were related to migraine/headache. When things are off in our bodies, our bodies tell us so.

    I'm just a geneticist/molecular biologist, not a physician. If you are having physical issues, please consult your physician or a local clinician. Given the things you've said on here, if we switched seats, I would be talking to my doctor to make sure I was within the levels I should be. :)

    Thanks.

    I see a doctor monthly to monitor them and I've seen a couple of neurologists but no one has ever mentioned Sodium to me. If I can find the cause of my headaches I would be sooooooo happy, been going on for years and effects everything. I can't even get a job because they are that bad.

    I see my doc on Tuesday so I will definitely be mentioning it.

    I can definitely understand the migraine thing. I had been getting them about 3 days per week. It was awful I couldn't concentrate. Ugh.

    I just did a little search, and I feel so stupid for not remembering this! The guy who's lab was next door to me for 3 years of my career studies sodium channels in epilepsy and migraine. Anyway, here's a paper from his lab connecting sodium and migraine.
    http://www.pnas.org/content/105/28/9799.full.pdf+html

    And for a less science article, which is how I had found his paper...
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/277354-sodium-deficiency-migraines/

    I hope that helps and it might be something to mention to your doc on Tuesday.

    Thank you for that. I shall give them both a read tomorrow, X
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